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God of the Stereotypical Church Kid
By Scott MerkMarch 5, 2001 My
testimony may not be as exciting as others. I was never on drugs, in jail or
brutally persecuted. In fact, my testimony may be considered stereotypical for a
kid raised in church. My parents were saved before I was born, and Pentecost is
all I have ever known. Growing up, I always went to Sunday school every week,
knew my memory verse, and had a quarter for the offering. I was baptized when I
was nine and filled with the Holy Ghost when I was 13. I always went to camp and
youth conference. I’m
used to having God in my life; He has always been there. But lately He’s
become more real to me every day, especially now as I begin to realize how much
I really need Him. As a senior in high school looking toward college and eventually a career, I am faced with having to make decisions that will affect the rest of my life. It can be somewhat stressful, in fact downright scary, with so many different questions floating through my mind. Where should I go to college? How will I pay for it? What should I take when I get there? What if I make the wrong decisions? On
top of all that, the past six months have been especially
stressful for my family, because my dad has been out of a job. There were even
more questions floating through my head all the time. Does my family have enough
money? Are my parents able to pay all our bills? Will we need to move to a
smaller house? Will we have to move out of town when Dad does find a job? And
will I ever have my own car? Then
recently my pastor preached a message on this scripture: “But
my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory through
Christ Jesus.” (Philippians
4:19) I
had read that verse countless times before, and I always trusted its truth. I
always knew God would take care of us. Still, sometimes you can’t help but
worry a little bit. It’s human nature. But that night God reminded me that He
has a plan, and everything will work out. And
it is working out! Many of the
questions I pondered have been/are being answered. God has shown me that as soon
as I turn my concerns over to Him, He will take care of it, and I never need to
worry about it at all. I have since narrowed my potential colleges list to two
colleges, and both are less than an hour from home. Both have offered me
enticing scholarships and financial aid. I have decided on my major, and I know
that God is leading me in His will. God
provided all our needs while my Dad wasn’t working, and now he has a wonderful
new job. We didn’t have to move, and we have paid/are paying all our bills.
And I finally got a car! It’s not
exactly the nicest car I’ve ever seen, but it gets me where I need to go, and
I thank God He has provided for me. ninetyandnine.com ã 2001, Scott
Merk --------
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