"I grew up knowing Christ as a symbol, not a Savior."

Maricel's "Faith Story"
October 2006

I came to know Christ through my husband and his family. I grew up knowing Christ as a symbol, not a Savior. On the other hand, my husband was raised in a Christian home and environment.

Early in our marriage my husband kept telling me we have to trust God in spite of the hardships we were facing. I was very skeptical and always wondered, "How can Christ influence our lives if He is just a symbol to me?"

It was not until I faced a decision that greatly impacted my family. I was alone one night, distraught and confused. I kept wondering why I felt so lost? I recall closing my eyes and began a deep conversation with God. I asked for forgiveness for feeling lost and not trusting Him. I continued to pray for guidance. I did not ask for solutions to my problems. I found myself asking instead for forgiveness. I asked Jesus to come into my life and be my Savior and Master.

I also realized that my problems were no comparison to God's sacrifice. God gave his only Son to die on the cross for my sins. I felt a great relief and comfort because I know that God's Spirit was with me that day. Jesus is now a personal Savior and not simply a symbol. Also, I now know that I can have a personal relationship with God through his Son, Jesus Christ.

The days after that meeting with God were different. I started to submit to his leading and slowly I was dying on my old self. I can feel a renewing of everything in my being because I was now a child of God. Daily my prayer is that Christ will always be at the center of my life, my marriage, and my family. I have a lot to learn about my inheritance in Christ but I am comforted to have his Word and the church family to help me and support me in my journey.