Tes·ti·mo·ny ˈ/testəˌmōnē/ noun: a public recounting of a religious conversion or experience.

Every Christian has a testimony, and every one is just as special as the last. I think in order for you guys to trust me, then I have to share this story of my life. This is also a moment for me to share a story that, up until now, only a small group of people have heard. Most of my family doesn’t even know my testimony. I had a hard time sharing my testimony with some sorority sisters last semester, so maybe writing it out will be a little easier. A testimony is in three parts. The first part is your life before Christ. The second part is like "JESUS IS PRESENT, Y'ALL!" and the third part is how your life is now, as a Christian.

Part 1.
I grew up in a somewhat-Christian household. We went to church every now and then, and I always really knew there was a God out there somewhere. My relationship with my parents was not the best. I was your typical rebellious teenager who only cared about how my friends and boyfriends saw me. I was such a hopeless romantic that I would fall in love so, so, so fast.

Fast-forward to my first spring semester in college. Unlike most of my friends, I was going to a community college. I never was the academic type, so test taking was not my strong suit. While there, I met different people. I had one friend from high school that was always there for me. Other than that, I had to make new friends. Spring semester rolled around, and I was ready! I had a good friendship, and I was in a good relationship until someone thought they could come and challenge it. I met a guy who I thought was the LOVE of my life. I developed feelings while being in another relationship, and I knew it wasn’t right, so I ended those things. Little did I know that I was going to be sucked into a toxic relationship. I made him my everything. I put him before my family, my friends, but most importantly, I put him before God. I changed myself to fit him. Months into my relationship, I was kicked out of my house because, well, I was being a horrible person to everyone but him. The only other good thing that I saw was that I was accepted to Texas State. Of course, there was worry in my mind because I would be separated from him. Thankfully before I started Texas State, I moved back home, but he was still my first priority. I thanked him, I thought that because of HIM I was going to do better things in life. Now that I think about, I know Who really got me there.

Starting off at Texas State, I stayed to myself. My friend from high school transferred with me too. She was really the only person I communicated with besides my boyfriend. But even those conversations with him would be every couple of days for maybe like three to five minutes max. I was spiraling into depression. I knew it. My roommate at the time was a homebody, so I never really did anything. Being in a long-distance relationship is hard. Being in a long-distance relationship without God is so much harder. When I went home for break, I felt a distance with my boyfriend. Being apart had changed us, but I wouldn’t let that be the end of us. I do know that saying bye again before we left for school did not hurt as much as the first time.

Part 2.

In the spring semester, I moved dorms to a bigger one with one of my friends. I met my roommate Gel (who is still my roommate now). Gel and I would go on adventures and spend time watching shows together. One day, I was walking through campus and I saw this really angry man named Brother Jedd just judging people. He was telling students that God hated them if they were gay or not virgins. Something inside me got so angry. I knew that that's not the right way to spread Christ love.

While I was listening, this girl came up to me and asked me if I was a Christian. I was shocked by the fact that I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t been behaving as a Christian should have. I told her I was confused about Christ. She then invited me to a student ministry called Crosstalk. I rushed to the dorm and told Gel. She was super-quick to say she’d go with me. I tried telling my boyfriend, but he just kind of blew it off.

I went to every single service. My relationship with God was growing, yet at the same time my relationship with my boyfriend was falling apart. Things permanently fell apart when my boyfriend of two years broke up with me, out of the blue, during Spring Break. This is when my walls, my world, everything just came crashing down. I felt like I did something wrong, when in reality, both of us were two different people. Coming back to school, I was nervous to go to Crosstalk. That Wednesday night is when things changed.

Our worship began, and we sang a song called "Closer" that talks about how Jesus’ love is the SWEETEST love. I broke down. I cried like I never cried before, but it wasn’t until the message that I knew Jesus was talking to me. The message was about how you shouldn’t put hope in anything but God because God is the ONLY one who won’t let you down. After the message, the worship team sang the song again. I sat on the floor and prayed. I asked God to heal my heart. I asked God to put people in my life who will run with me towards Jesus. I asked for forgiveness, but most importantly, I asked for a man who would love Christ with me.

Part 3.

A few weeks past, and I felt so much different. I was still sad and still to this day I get a little emotional. I ended up meeting the real love of my life, Donnie (that's another story for another day). But most importantly I started loving myself because I saw myself not as someone's girlfriend, but as the daughter of The King. The following fall semester I roomed with Gel again, and I committed to Sigma Phi Lambda where my relationship with God keeps growing. As for my ex, I wish him well because everything happens for a reason. I know he’s gonna do great things, and I still pray for his own happiness.