But because I didn’t have a dramatic life-change story, I began to wonder if I was worthy of this opportunity. A week before Easter, I still didn’t have my cardboard prepared. When my youth pastor asked me what my testimony would say, I told him that I wasn’t sure, to which he responded, “I have it! On one side, say: My youth pastor thought I would end up in jail. On the other side, say: But now I’m a youth leader!” There’s nothing like the encouragement of a good friend, right? But we all know there has to be some truth in humor or it wouldn’t be funny. Here’s the truth he was referring to.
Cardboard Grace
seen were dramatic: people who had overcome abuse, suffered the tragic loss of a loved one, or been involved in a serious accident. I was thankful that those are not issues from my past.
I’m the fourth generation of my family to worship at our church. I was in church all the time when I was growing up, but that didn’t mean I was perfect. In fact, around church I was known as “a holy terror.” My mother was my kindergarten Sunday school teacher, and she had to get my dad to come sit in class to keep me under control for her to teach. I was wild, loud, and mean when I was younger, disobedient, disrespectful, and a bully as I grew older. I changed dramatically during a summer mission trip when I was thirteen. God gave me an understanding of His love that washed away all of my sins and created me new again. God’s grace became real, and it was enough for me. Suddenly, I realized that while my youth pastor was joking, he had actually crafted the perfect cardboard testimony for me. As I read other testimonies that Easter, I realized that no matter what your life has been like and no matter whether your life change has been “big” or “small,” God’s grace in your life can be used to touch others.
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