This is my testimony of God's mercy and grace in my life. Without His grace I would not be here to share this with you. My story is so similar to the story of the Lost Son found in Luke 15:11-24.

Luke 15:11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living."

I became a member of the family of God when I was 11 years old. I grew up in a small west Texas town near Lubbock, Texas. My parents, who both worked to make ends meet, sent me to church on the church bus every Sunday. At church I heard the Gospel message and learned about God's Son, Jesus. Then when I was 11 years old I went to a church camp in Glorieta, NM where I asked Jesus into my heart. I believed for certain that as a human being I will live in an eternal state and I had learned that there is a heaven and there is a hell. I knew for certain that if I was going to live forever, I wanted it to be in heaven. So I asked Jesus into my life.

I stayed active in church for the next couple of years and learned more about Jesus, my Savior. But as I became a young teenager, my interest started to change. I wanted to be fit in with my peers. At this time my neighborhood peer group wasn't interested in church and didn't feel like they belonged. Since I was their friend and lived in the same neighborhood, I didn't think I belonged either. It was at this time that I decided to take my inheritance that I received from my Father and squander it in wild living. I squandered all the joy, peace, sound mind & wholeness that I had received. I thought that while I was young, I should have fun and party. I didn't have any more time for the Lord. I believed that there would be more time for that later. But that is a lie from the enemy as we are not promised a tomorrow; our lives are like a vapor.

When I was 19 years old, my father passed away from a battle with cancer. The night he died, I was not there, but at a party. No one could reach me to tell me because they didn't know where I was at. (This was a time before cell phones). The next day when I learned of my father's demise, I was so stricken with grief that I wasn't there with him or my family. I knew that things had to change. So instead of turning back to my heavenly Father, I decided to change the way I party. Instead of rock-n-roll, I went country and started hanging out at country night clubs. But I knew that I was in sin and I started to feel depleted.

Luke 15:14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

I had no money because everything I earned from my jobs was spent at parties or clubs. I decided I needed to clean up my act and I thought the Air Force would do that. I cleaned up my act to pass all the entrance tests and entered into the U.S. Air Force. I thought that traveling far away from my home town situation would fix the problem. I didn't realize that the problem was me and the problem would still be with me. I wanted to be able to travel and see the world, but I quickly learned that I had to serve to benefit the needs of the service. The government selected me to be stationed at Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, Texas. So much for seeing the world!

At this time of transition into the Air Force, I met and married my husband, Eldon. And 18 months later we had our first child. I thought all this would help change my life and straighten me out. Yet, I was bankrupt on the inside. As I mentioned earlier, I squandered all my inheritance from the Lord and all I had left was emptiness, brokenness, depression and fatigue. I was dying emotionally, spiritually, and this was starting to affect me physically. I was guilty of sin. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I knew I was guilty of sin and because of that I felt trapped in my sins. I thought I had been too bad and that I could never return to God.

Luke 15:17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'

After all these years of despair, I remembered that I once had peace when I went to church. So one Sunday morning I woke up and decided to go to church. I thought that even if I could just be in church every week that I would find some of that inheritance that I had squandered away.

Luke 15:20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

I went to church, sought after the Lord and confessed my sins. My Father in heaven called His servants to bring for me the best robe, put a ring on my finger and sandals on my feet. He killed the fatted calf so He could celebrate over my homecoming. He did this for me because I was once dead in my sins, but I was made alive again! Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

I was lost, but now I am found! Though I squandered my inheritance, my Father who owns it all had more to give. Now, my peace, joy, sound mind and wholeness--His Shalom--has been restored to me. Each day I celebrate His goodness and I know that I never want to leave His house again! I shall remain in my Father's house forever. I realize now that true riches and fun are found in the house of the Lord, not in the ways of the world. I tried many different avenues, but they were all dead ends. The only way to true life is to ask the source of life, who is Jesus, to be Lord of our lives.

God sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins. All we have to do is "confess with our mouths that 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead and we will be saved. For it is with our heart that we believe and are justified and it is with our mouth that we confess that we are saved." (Romans 10:9-10)

I have truly experienced God's grace & I pray that you too will accept His grace through His Son, Jesus. It is for whosoever believes. If you have never asked Jesus into your heart, I pray you will do so today. Just ask Him with a sincere heart. If you have wandered away as I did, know this, He will take you back. All you have to do is confess your sins to Him and He is faithful and just to forgive. His grace is sufficient!

Please share this article in its entirety with others. May you be blessed by the Lord.

Copyright 2007 Shonda Whitworth