I was saved around the age of 4 or 5. (I don’t remember the exact date). As I grew, I felt bothered that I didn’t remember exactly when I had accepted God’s gift of salvation, so I rededicated my life to Christ at the age of 12 and was baptized shortly thereafter. I was reared in a wonderful Christian home and thrived in that environment all the way from childhood to my teen years. My parents were such fantastic examples for me and I had the incredible opportunity to go to a Christian school where I was rooted in God’s word. Even up through my high school years, I really wanted to serve the Lord.
But, when I entered college the world changed for me. Actually, the world seemed to consume me. Half way through my sophomore year, my mom was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. It was like the world just crumbled all around me and I started to doubt God. My mom was my best friend - to lose her just did not seem fair. Basically, I just got mad at God. I started to be attracted to the wrong type of people. Instead of surrounding myself with godly examples, I was drawn to the people that seemed to have a grasp on the world. I was married shortly after I graduated from college. The marriage was not a good one and I ended up divorced after just 3 years of marriage.
I married Cary in the winter of 1993. At that time, Cary wanted nothing to do with God. But, soon after Cary and I were married, God did a miracle - he softened Cary’s heart and within the first year of our marriage, he surrendered every part of his life to Christ. God used his life changing work in Cary’s life to impact my own desire to turn my heart back to the Him. All of a sudden, God’s life changing power was unfolding in front of me through my husband’s life. I saw God was real! I couldn’t doubt He wasn’t anymore. We both chose to hand our lives over to God and surrender our lives to His service.
Since then, we have seen tremendous growth and God has given us many opportunities to share our story. I have truly learned that in my weakness, He is so very strong. God has used us in ways we never expected and certainly never deserved.
Just to fill you in on my mom. She went on an experimental treatment at the Mayo Clinic and she has had the best response in the nation to the treatment…she’s very active and living a very healthy and full life. Her tumors have calcified almost completely. At the beginning, the doctors gave her two years to live. THAT WAS ALMOST TWENTY YEARS AGO! We praise the Lord every day that she is still with us!
During the first five years of our marriage, Cary and I found out that we were unable to have children. When we found this out, I have to tell you, I was fearful that it was punishment from God because I had grieved Him so much by my past choices. Of course, that is NOT what God was doing. I found out later that, at the very time that I was struggling the most with this - God was making our son, Andre’, just for us, over on the other side of the world! His grace is so amazing!!!
Since we’ve adopted Andre’ – I’ve learned so much about God. I can honestly write to you that I want to walk with Him more than anything that this world can offer. The fact that He has blessed us and uses us is stunning to me - He is a God of Supreme mercy and love. I’ve learned that the God that I gave my heart to at the age of 4 or 5 is a God that I can truly trust, lean upon, and rest in for the rest of my life.
In 2005, God blessed us again with our 2nd son, Caleb. What an exciting adventure to walk with God!! He is so personal. As I look back over my life, I am amazed at God's mercy....He has taken the broken pieces that were my life and made this beautiful thing - for that I can only give HIM all the glory!
Mandy
