God revealed himself to me at the age of 7. God introduced himself to me and I let him into my heart, but I wasn't committed for I had bad intentions sealed away in my heart. At the age of 15, I walked away from him (in part) and my dysfunctional family, also (God's family). Ya Know this is multifaceted testimony, but I will write about the turning point.
As far as sin goes, I did it all. In my thinking I thought sin mostly hurt me. For awhile, I thought I was a moral man ( ,but people don't see themselves as evil), so in my search for happiness. I cleaned up my outside appearance for the prospect of a wife. In my looking! I ask God to find me a Christian woman? As they say, be careful what you ask for you might get it. We did get married within months. For one reason besides my own, was her kids and the unstable emotional roller coaster that comes with divorce. Which the ex husband did bring to the relationship. Oh, God is good at molding his own. He has taken every thought of mine in pursuit of me and turned the wants I had inside out. Making me see truth... for everything good or bad without God is vain. I have gained a glimpse of what is good that could be attained by me without God. Then had the trial of trying to sustain it, and it be taken from me. I looked for happiness with out joy. Not realizing I needed God's wisdom and blessing. I was lost....Being in a relationship with people you love, you can see your sin as well. My marriage I thought would bring me my happiness. In marriage I found I was still empty, but I did see God and found what his unselfish love looks like. My wife loved me even though I didn't deserve it. Out of my brokenness and emptiness my wife lead me back to God, but I would tell her out of anger I didn't need or want to hear that at this point in time. This happen several times a year until the seventh year. I skirted around the issues of my life, and around the thoughts of God. I thought I wouldn't turn on God, but in hope to ignore, however; one night drunk again. Emotionally hurting my wife again she said we need to pray and ask God. I turned on God for a couple of hours. I let him have it with both barrels. The next day I was emotionally empty and broken hearted. I turned on God the one who had always been good to me. I turned on the one who has always been there for me and it broke me..... I couldn't live with that thought or that choice. I asked my wife the next day if she would go to Church with me and she said yes. Then, I asked God for his forgiveness and help. To be all honest with him and myself. I came back to God committed to him. I got baptized. And have been looking for God and his truth where ever I can find him. (Learning for myself mentored by him). To come to a full understanding of knowledge and truth with his wisdom. Then trusting him to put it all together. I gain wisdom through his insight or out of living the experiences, and here we are on the Christian forums. I don't ever want to lose God again. I find joy when I see that I am blessed in knowing Him. I find peace no matter the trail, for I know him. My love and purpose in this life is to share the good news about Jesus Christ and to tell them of the free gift of Grace. Here is a passage in which I shared in my public testimony Passage Acts 28:26-27:
26 "'Go to this people, and say, You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
27 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.
As I do my father business he heals me and my FEAR is that I won't finish well. May God bless you
:help