My Identity in Christ Gives Me Hope

Before I began to run hard after Jesus, I was drowning in grief. I had experienced abandonment over and over and over. I was hopeless.

I had not only experienced abandonment as a child, but in the course of a few years, my mother, brother, and husband died. I found my self, at 27, the single mother of four children, ages 5, 4, 3, and 1. I knew I could not do it alone. I felt I could not survive in a world without the husband I'd been with for my entire adult life.

One dark night, I was sitting in my room feeling like a grain of sand in the world. I was alone. Again. I felt incapable and hopeless. I wondered if my kids would be better of without me. I called out to God, "God, I cannot do this alone." He spoke to me. He said, "Silly girl. You are not alone. I am right here with you. Take my hand." And I did. I decided to do whatever it took to get to know a Savior who would meet me right where I was in my deepest need. The first thing I did was get involved in a church and began learning how to know Jesus and make Him known.

Even after all the loss I've experienced, I live in joy and contentment because of Jesus Christ. I believe that is because I know my identity in Him. I am not the victim of my circumstances. I am a daughter of the Most High God. I am a daughter of the King of Kings.

Sometimes when people hear my story, they make a comparison. They say, well, I thought I was going through a hard time until I heard your story. I think that we can't compare pain. Pain just hurts. We all go through hard times. If you haven't, you will. The key is to know to whom you belong. Even after I began to follow Christ, I have had hard times. But when those happen now, I know the truth: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). It's true and I live in that comfort!

I am confident that I am a Christian, a Christ follower, and that I will spend eternity with Him in heaven. I also know he wants me to live an abundant life. I know this because I have asked God to be the Lord of my life. By that I mean that I seek him daily through prayer and bible study. I spend time in church to grow in maturity. I tell others about Jesus. I do my best to live by the example of Christ, loving God and loving others.