My life before I got baptized was A MESS. I cheated on my first husband. I had non-martial sex. I was angry at the world. I was empty and desperately seeking love. I thought I was happy but really I was not.
My conversion story BLOWS MY MIND. To know the many seeds GOD planted in my life to bloom at the right moment is crazy. In 1992 I was stationed at Ft Riley Kansas. I & BG lived on post. We befriended a few of the neighbors in our building. One of those families was Tina & Manny Perez. When BG went to a military school at another military installation I started cheating on him with Dennis. Tina knew what was going on but she never said anything. To me, my safety was when you leave the military there is little chance of seeing any of these people again. (this was before social media) So when I left Ft Riley I thought I would never see them again.
In 1997 I & Dennis was moving to a bigger apartment. Dennis attempted suicide. He was in ICU. I was trying to move, work, take care of Bethany and visit Dennis in the hospital. I was EXHAUSTED. One day I was trying to get the washer & dryer moved into the new apartment so I could turn the rental truck back in. I was having a hard time getting it off the truck. This new neighbor named Sunnie came out of her apartment to ask if I needed help. I told her I did. She was so helpful getting the washer and dryer into the apartment. Afterwards, she invited me to her church. In my mind, I was thinking “I don’t have time for CHURCH. I am trying to take care of a baby, a boyfriend in the hospital, work and finish moving” but instead I said “Thanks, I will think about it” and went on with my life.
We moved to California about 6 months later. I started working at a company and had a co-worker Sara who I worked with. She had invited me to attend her church. So after a few months of resilence, I finally started going to church. I started studying the bible and realized how I was living my life. I also realized that I was living in sin by not being married to Dennis. So I decided to move back to Ohio to try to get my life together.
I had told Sara and the other women in the Alameda Region of the San Francisco Church of Christ that I would try going to the Dayton Church of Christ. But in my mind, I just did not know if the Dayton Church would be as awesome
I went to the church for midweek. I enjoyed it and planned to go back the following week. At the end of service, a man came by and patted Lilie on the head. He looked so familiar but did not know how I knew her. Then a woman came by and patted her on the head. For some reason, I yelled out “Tina” but had no idea why. The woman turned around and I realized the man and woman were Manny & Tina Perez, my neighbors from Ft Riley. THATS CRAZY!!! I knew it was totally GOD. I was definitely excited to come back the next week.
The following week Tina started introducing me to other women in the church. She introduced me to a woman that looked so familiar. THe woman said “I know you I helped you move a few years ago” I WAS FLOORED. It was Sunnie the woman that helped me move my washer and dryer. At that moment
At that moment literally, it was like my life flashed before my eyes. To know the Perez family was a seed that would be revealed 8 years later about the sin in my life. And Sunnie was a seed that would be revealed 3 years later about how much I needed GOD at that time and I denied him
Needless to say, I did not deny him anymore. Within 3 weeks I was baptized and declared JESUS IS LORD.
Don’t get me wrong I still struggle with things in my life but with GOD all things are possible. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
