Experiences that changed you

[Margies3]

Jacob's Ladder, what a testimony!! thanks so much for sharing it.

So what experiences changed me? 2 main ones. The first was going thru all the years of infertility and infertility treatments and then adopting our sons. I learned thru that time to depend on God in a way that I had never known before. I learned that He always has a plan for our lives and that HIS plan is always best. and most of all, I learned that His love is more powerful than anything else in my life.

The next experience, of course, was Walt's ruptured aneurysm. I was able to make it thru that experience because of all that I had learned thru the infertility experience. There was never a doubt but that God knew what He was doing, He had a plan and that His plan was going to be best for all of us. But I also learned thru that experience the POWER of reaching out to my brothers and sisters from every denomination the world over and asking you all to join me in prayer. And the biggest thing I learned from this experience for me personally was that I know for sure that no matter what God asks of us or requires of us, I will love Him and trust Him completely. There is NO ONE else I can depend on like I can depend on Him.

[*AQuietPlace*]

Experiences that changed me?

Having teenagers.

And I'm not even joking. It really did turn my world upside down, turn my preconceived notions upside down, and cause me to deeply regret and repent over all of my previous judgmentalism.

It literally was the trigger that set me off on a journey, and set me on the path of true grace.

I thought I knew how everything was going to be, how everything was going to turn out. I was doing everything *right*. If everyone else would do everything right like I was, they'd get the awesome results I was going to get. I had a nice little life all built up and ready to go. I had worked hard on all that perfection.

God reached over and gave my world a little nudge with his foot and it all came tumbling down around my head.

As I stood in the rubble I realized that I was full of pride and was depending on my own efforts to bring about results. I didn't need God so much, really, I was doing everything right myself. It was MY efforts that was going to get results.

When I started re-building my life, this time I built it on the correct foundation. If anything good comes from my life, God will get all the credit, not me.

So I'm grateful.

I think.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace*

Experiences that changed me?

Having teenagers.

And I'm not even joking. It really did turn my world upside down, turn my preconceived notions upside down, and cause me to deeply regret and repent over all of my previous judgmentalism.

It literally was the trigger that set me off on a journey, and set me on the path of true grace.

I thought I knew how everything was going to be, how everything was going to turn out. I was doing everything *right*. If everyone else would do everything right like I was, they'd get the awesome results I was going to get. I had a nice little life all built up and ready to go. I had worked hard on all that perfection.

God reached over and gave my world a little nudge with his foot and it all came tumbling down around my head.

As I stood in the rubble I realized that I was full of pride and was depending on my own efforts to bring about results. I didn't need God so much, really, I was doing everything right myself. It was MY efforts that was going to get results.

When I started re-building my life, this time I built it on the correct foundation. If anything good comes from my life, God will get all the credit, not me.

So I'm grateful.

I think.

Wow! If ever, you want to talk more about that (teenager surprise), I would be interested.

At any rate, it's really cool that God used this to reveal Himself in a new and better way to you!

[*AQuietPlace*]

Originally Posted by Hoovie

Wow! If ever, you want to talk more about that (teenager surprise), I would be interested.

At any rate, it's really cool that God used this to reveal Himself in a new and better way to you!

I hope to write about it someday. Once I've processed it all. Right now I'm still in learning mode.

[Margies3]

AQP, I'm thinking that you and I could probably relate real well on this one! We are in the middle of the teens with one son and have come out on the other side with the other. It's funny. When we adopted our sons, I told people, "I've done daycare for years very successfully. How hard can it be?" WRONG! wrong! Wrong!!! Doing daycare is absolutely NOTHING like being the parent.

So now my only question is: We have a 21 year old son (almost 22) still living at home. He seems to have no real desire to fly the coop. Are we doing something wrong here??? How do you nudge them on their way? I don't want him to be dependent on us for the rest of his life. There is nothing healthy about that at all!

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace*

Experiences that changed me?

Having teenagers.

And I'm not even joking. It really did turn my world upside down, turn my preconceived notions upside down, and cause me to deeply regret and repent over all of my previous judgmentalism.

It literally was the trigger that set me off on a journey, and set me on the path of true grace.

I thought I knew how everything was going to be, how everything was going to turn out. I was doing everything *right*. If everyone else would do everything right like I was, they'd get the awesome results I was going to get. I had a nice little life all built up and ready to go. I had worked hard on all that perfection.

God reached over and gave my world a little nudge with his foot and it all came tumbling down around my head.

As I stood in the rubble I realized that I was full of pride and was depending on my own efforts to bring about results. I didn't need God so much, really, I was doing everything right myself. It was MY efforts that was going to get results.

When I started re-building my life, this time I built it on the correct foundation. If anything good comes from my life, God will get all the credit, not me.

So I'm grateful.

I think.

I so know where you are coming from

[rgcraig]

1. Marriage to someone insecure. I lost who I was.

2. Divorce. I found who I was again.

Two experiences that changed me.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

Wow - enjoyed reading your testimony J'sL!