My Testimony
1. What was my life before I met Jesus?
I grew up in a Christian home and had an active yet uneventful life. My family was close, and we spent much time at church and with extended family. My maternal grandparents were very involved in our church, and in mission work. I had a very normal and good childhood and participated in church youth groups and Sunday school.
2. How did I realize I needed Jesus?
While in Jr High, our youth group spent a few weeks discussing Jesus and the need for a personal relationship with him. The pastor worked with our sponsors to share the truth about salvation. It was reinforced in our Sunday school class. I realized during these teachings and the subsequent discussions, that I would never be good enough to get to heaven on my own. I could never approach the holiness that God demands of me and had to have Jesus as my Savior to make it to heaven. We argued much about the need, but ultimately, I knew I was a sinner.
3. How did I commit my life to Jesus?
I made a decision for Jesus in the 8th grade after our youth group discussions. There was a special focus one Sunday, where many of our class went forward and made a public profession of faith. I was then baptized and became a member of the church. My baptism was a wet affair for the pastor, since I quickly turned my head back and forth to get the water off as I did when in the pool. It made quite a splash and got a good laugh from the congregation.
4. What is the difference in my life since Jesus?
I must admit that not a lot of change occurred in my lifestyle after being baptized. My high school career consisted of the same routines I had been accustomed to before, and I continued to live life as a good person, but not walking with God very closely outside the few hours I spent in church or camp. When I went to Iowa State in the fall of 1974, I was fortunate to get involved in a campus group called BSU and that organization and the personal discipleship I received from the director really brought me to a new level of understanding with Christ. He poured his life into me, spent hours teaching and training me in the ways of discipleship, and helped me become a disciple maker. I met with several other men and trained them as I had been trained. These 2.5 short years are some of the most treasured in my life, as I walked with God in a close and disciplined way and became very active in leadership and student work.
I met a wonderful and godly young lady and was married shortly after graduation, and we have gone through the mountain top and valley experiences of life. We have endured a miscarriage, crop failure, business problems, marital issues and many others. Through it all, Nancy has been faithful to stand by my side and pray for me. God has continually sought me and brought me back to Himself. I am so grateful for His love and mercy. I certainly don’t deserve the grace He has shown me. Over the years, we sometimes failed to keep Him at the center of life, being faced with the pressures of business, children and the many other things that take time and energy.
But God always brought me back to Himself after straying in the world, and I have since been focused on my desire to build up others through discipleship and sharing His truth. God has laid on my heart the need and desire to “make disciples” and to pour my life into others. It’s what drives what I do today.
God has truly changed me and saved me. I certainly have my ups and downs, but God is “the same, yesterday, today and forever.” I cling to that promise and know that He has a perfect plan and purpose for my life. That is what I pursue – and as I do – I desire to be a difference maker for Him.