Teen Tuesday: Emily's Testimony

     

 

My Testimony    

by Emily Moragne

When I was younger, many kids on my street would always talk about attending church.  I started to wonder “Why don’t I go?”  I was hanging out with my grandma one afternoon, and finally built up the courage to ask her, “Why don’t we attend church?”  She responded, “Well, I don’t know, we just don’t have the time.”  I told her that I would go, and she promised to take me.  I was so happy that I was finally going to attend church.  Not long after, my grandma was diagnosed with stage four cancer and became very sick.  Even though she had cancer, she still wanted to take me to church.  Shortly after, she passed away and was not able to keep her promise.

The way we found out about Grace Baptist Church was through close friends of my parents, the Brumley family.   They told my parents that Grace Baptist also had a school and they immediately want to send us there.   Sending us to Grace Baptist Academy would require us to attend church at least 2 times a week, which we weren’t used to doing. While attending Grace Baptist Academy we began to get involved in church, which after a year became a true blessing. I never told anyone why I was so bitter while attending my first year at Grace Baptist. I absolutely hated the fact that my grandma didn’t get to attend church with me like we had planned.   I started to realize my grandma would be happy and very proud of the decision I had made.  I began listening to preaching and allowed it to move in my heart.  One day Pastor Shannon was preaching a message on hell and I was sure I didn't want to go there.  I sat there saying “it's okay I don't need this.”  As I continued to listen my heart began to soften and when he gave the invitation I raised my hand wanting to know how to get to heaven.  One of our teachers, Mrs Cherry pulled me into the hall and we sat on a bench as she explained to me that I was a sinner and that I needed to trust Jesus as my Savior.  She asked me if I want to bow my head and ask Jesus to come into my heart.  I immediately said, “yes!”  On October 24, 2012 I got my salvation settled.

The school year went on and I was saved but wasn’t really living like I was a child of God.  I was not used to attending such a small school and I would felt very alone, until two very special people named Kelsey and Abigail came into my life.  These two girls showed me what it was like to be a true Christian they would encourage me in the Lord and through the years we have become best friends.  Having such godly friends encouraged me to go to church more often and this whole idea of church became fun!  In 2015, I began to realize I was attending church for all the wrong reasons and I wanted to get serious about God.  Shortly after, I became a bus worker on the Compeller's bus route and started to realize I could be an example to these young kids.  Before I could try to be an example to the kids I knew it had to work on myself first, which gave me the idea to start reading my Bible every day and praying for the kids on my bus route.  In the last two years the kids have impacted me to become a better person and to be the example that they can follow some day.  Now in 2017, I am starting my senior year and I can honestly say that I am the happiest I have ever been .