Today's Ripple Effect story is kind of a combination story. In order to greater understand the Ripple Effect, I'll start of with a bit of my own story, then move on to how God used my story to affect Rissa Crowe.
When I was eleven, my mom led me to Christ while sitting in our living room late at night. A few years after that, some dear friends (the Solem family) told me about TeenPact. I was a little iffy about going--and delayed going for at least a year. Finally though, at age 16, I went to a TeenPact State Class for the first time. It really got me on fire for God, for government, and for leading. Just last week, I attended the TeenPact National Convention, where God did some major work in my heart. I felt so light and burden-free! As soon as I got home, I began blogging about my experience at NC. I am very much on fire for God now, and want to honor Him with everything I do. Then, yesterday, I opened my Facebook and saw that I had a message from Rissa Crowe. Now here begins her story . . .
"[L]ately, I've been in a "hit and miss" mode. I do the stuff I need to for God then be done with it. Quick & shallow prayers, skipping on some bible reading, not really caring to try at anything. It's my life, I can do with it as much or as little as I want... right? Wrong! But such has been my mindset.... until tonight.
It seems a million and one things have been gripping me and stabbing at my heart to bring me to repentance. Everything from tv commercials to the very ground I walk on seemed to remind me of my condition and pound me with conviction. But I was still spiritually "asleep", no matter what the Lord was trying to put in front of me. But tonight, He put your blog in front of me. Sleepily I kind of just stumbled into my room... grabbed the iPod touch and got on facebook. There it was... your blog. I clicked it and started to read, read, and read some more! I couldn't stop! The way the words flowed kept my attention, and the way in which Christ and His ultimate glory was pointed out as foremost in nearly everything, brought me to my knees. Was it the way I admired your love and devotion to Christ? Was it your ability to pour your testimonies into beautiful wording? I don't know. But there was a small moment when in reading your blog, I broke. I woke up.
I don't understand the feeling, I really can't explain it! But I just put the iPod down and started to pray. It was the sweetest time of prayer I think I have ever had. :) God and I talked. I repented from what I had been doing against Him. The joy afterwards was immense! I got right back on the iPod and started to write this message to you!!!"
God definitely gets the credit here! I was absolutely floored when I read this message. God's amazing-ness knows no bounds! Rissa and I met while on a "College Up-Close" trip at Bob Jones University. The deal is, the way we met, we could have very well gone on the entire trip and not have met each other! God can use even the smallest event or person to affect a lot! Take Rissa's story for example. I am merely one person. In a big world of everything, my blog is just one small thing. But God, in His grace and mercy, used it to affect something big: Rissa's relationship with God. Everything big that happens can be traced back to one small thing.
I hope you enjoyed reading about how God worked in Rissa's life! Thank you for reading!!
Send your own "Ripple Effect" story(s) to: pigeongirl93@gmail.com
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