From Sorrow to Joy

Good morning church, I’m thankful for the opportunity I get to share my testimony with you to let you know how God has radically transformed my life. He used his word, people, and spirit to change my sorrow to joy and my fear into peace. He has taken the way he has uniquely wired & gifted me to be on mission for him rather than pursue worldly pleasures. My parents divorced when I was only 1. So very early on, I picked up “people-pleasing,” wanting to make sure that people liked me, that they were happy, and that they wanted me around. Also, for as long as I can remember, I’ve grown up in the church. I mean from Monday night Men’s bible study, Tuesday night pray meeting, Wed night midweek service, Thursday night choir practice, Friday end of week service… and don’t forget Sunday school and church on Sunday!! And if you didn’t tuck in your shirt, you were in some serious trouble. I quickly caught on to the thought that good people go to church and bad people don’t. Being surrounded by the church and its people was clearly God’s provision for me, and for some reason, I always found myself in the front row with my bible taking notes while my brothers and sisters sat in the back playing around. I knew early on that my sin and the bad things I’d done had separated me from God and that I needed a savior. I also believed Romans 10:9 was true, which is why I accepted Christ early on at the age of 12. After that decision, I was faced with the question that we all ask, “Well, what do I do now?” lol

Although I believed that Jesus died for my sins, and I could be with him in heaven forever, because I continued to sin and fall short often, I wondered if Jesus loved me and accepted me with all my flaws. Because of my desire to find out more about who Jesus was, I was introduced to another means of God’s provision in my life, which was my youth group. Through my youth group and youth pastor, God transformed this immature believer into one who began to trust him and his word more. This was a very sweet season of my life, and because of God’s love and protection, I was shielded from a lot of things during my adolescent years. 

As I moved on to college at Texas A&M, I quickly jumped into finding a church home, a place to serve, and a group of friends that helped me continue to walk with Jesus. After not being accepted into a Christian fraternity like some other friends that I came to A&M with, the people-pleaser in me found another group of friends who affirmed and accepted me for who I was. I was introduced to partying and drinking during college, and I often found myself drinking at the bars during the week and weekends and at church on Sundays, not really living out the faith that I called my own. I felt accepted and affirmed for my natural ability to be the life of the party. Through a breakup, being kicked out of A&M, and a series of events that led to broken trust and relationship with my mom… I walked through a season of depression that drove me to more drinking and partying instead of the arms of my savior. Even during my disobedience and pursuit of life outside of a relationship with God, he remained faithful and continued to pursue my heart. 

I met my wife, Smitha, in 2009, but I in no way dated or led her the way Christ would have me because I was still living life with one foot in the world and one foot in the church. 

Once I made it back to Dallas in May of 2011, I knew that God had been pulling at my heart for a while, and it led me to Watermark in November of 2011. Through my singles community group and the body of Christ, God revealed to me more areas of my life that needed to be handed over to him: broken relationship with my mom, partying and drinking, and my devotion to him and my faith. For the longest time, I bought the lie from Satan that, if you fully devoted yourself to God that he would make a life for you harder and difficult by testing your faith, and more bad things will happen to you because of your devotion to him. Still, again God’s spirit helped to transform that lie into the truth for me through John 16:33 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

This truth helped me to see those bad things happening were just a part of life, whether you were a Christian or not, but that having Jesus gave you refuge in times of the storms.

It’s been just over ten years since I first stepped foot into Watermark, and the way that God has radically changed my life has been nothing short of amazing!! He used his word, people, and spirit to change my sorrow to joy and my fear into peace. Although I didn’t grow up in a healthy marriage, today, I rely on God’s transformative power to pursue Smitha and model for my kids what I didn’t have growing up. My wife and I now live our lives intentionally serving God and his people with our time, talent, and treasure, leading in ministries like men and women’s bible study in loving response to ALL he’s so graciously done for us.