Light Among The Darkness

Light Among The Darkness

Living in Los Angeles is like living in constant spiritual warfare. Christians are a light among the darkness here. There is so much consistently fighting for our attention, it can very be difficult to find a place of solace where you can talk to God. I grew up in a suburban town of Los Angeles County. My father has been the minister of our church since 1986. Looking back to childhood, I cannot remember a time when I did not know the Lord. I grew up never questioning if Jesus Christ was my savior. My dad baptized me by my request in 1992, I was 9 years old. I knew I loved Jesus and I knew He was my savior, but I did not really understand what that meant. I had not experienced enough of the world to understand how badly we all really need Jesus.

As I grew into my teen years, social pressures and selfish desires began to sink their claws into me. Slowly, I was moving away from God. I was worrying more about pleasing my peers than pleasing my Heavenly Father. By the time I got to college my relationship with the Lord was leaning towards the non-existent. I dropped out of college and worked just enough to support my social life. Alcohol and vanity blinded me from what was truly important. Los Angeles is filled with innumerable opportunities for self-degradation. Every minute of every day, it seems, that our minds are being persistently bombarded with the temptations of sin. We need a lot more of Jesus in Los Angeles. I hope to be Lord’s aid in spreading that light among the darkness.

The Lord is gracious and He brought back me back to Him. Not only did He save me, He also gave me a husband who knows Jesus as his savior and was baptized by my father in our church. Together, my husband and I hope to impact the lives of many by bringing the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2016, just a month after our daughter was born, my dad was diagnosed with advanced stage Leukemia. It was this terrible news that the Lord used for good to call my husband and I into the ministry. God put it on our hearts to start some family outreach ministries and we have been blessed with church growth. My ministry goal would be to follow in my dad’s footsteps and keep our church alive and thriving, but I know that it is not always my choice. I submit to the will of the Lord and will pursue the paths that has planned for me. I may not know what God holds for my future, but I know that this is exactly where I am supposed to be right now.

This year, my husband became a deacon of our church and my father began mentoring and formally training us both to take over his roles in the church one day. The Lord lead me to Christian Leadership Institute and both my husband and I enrolled the next day. Upon completing my first certification, I plan to start a women’s Bible Study while continuing my education and training. It is truly amazing how the Lord works in our lives. The Bible says when Jesus Christ returns, He will come like a thief a night. That is exactly how He moved into my heart. My plans and life goals changed overnight. My view of the world changed overnight. My relationship with God changed overnight. Suddenly, there was a light among the darkness.

As I continue on this journey to fulfill the plans God has for me, I ask for prayers from my brothers and sisters in Christ that my family will remain strong and faithful in the face of adversity. Everyday, I resubmit myself to will of the Lord and try to keep my eyes on Him, knowing all I do will be for His glory and glorification of His kingdom. I see many lost souls everyday searching, reaching, hoping for something better, never to find it, never to feeling truly complete. As the world around them encourages further debauchery, they distance themselves even further from the One True God. I want to bring these people to the light, to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Only with the love of Jesus and Holy Spirit in our hearts can we ever feel truly whole.

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