The Story That Changed My Life.

The dreams I had as a boy sounded better in the day time when I told my loved ones than when I saw them in the night time. "When I grow up Mum, I'll be a Pastor, just like Daddy." The dreams I had as a boy felt best when I preached to my childhood friends (Thank you Benjamin for reminding me of this.) and for the first time saw the talents God had put in me.
As I grew up, no matter how many dreams I had, I still remembered the young little boy telling his parents how he would step on a pulpit one day. But soon enough, those dreams soon became distant memories. Every once in a while, the window panes in my room turned to mirrors which reflected the dreams I had. Like a white screen in a movie theatre, my life would play before my very eyes and I would feel robbed of my dreams. The tape would stop rolling the moment I got to where I was in life,  and then the darkness that lied beyond the window panes became apparent.
I would try to picture my future but it was futile, I had a better chance counting the mosquitoes I had killed by smacking them against the wall and they left a small blood stain on the dull white walls of my hostel room. I had no big picture like I once had, so whatever goals I set, new year resolutions, short term goals, long term goals, basket goals, academic goals and goals towards improving the relationships I had with my friends and family, I fell way short.
It was frustrating at first, then the frustration slowly turned into hopelessness and despair. When it seemed it couldn't get any worse, I failed to complete my academic requirements for graduation, I had let myself and others down. My goals were no more, I took each day as it came my way, it was like staring into a black hole of hope and aspirations. The darkness that was beyond the window pane was right before me, and with every step I took, with every passing day, I stepped further away from the dream projecting canvass. Distant memories turned into painful ones, and my joy and peace were robbed.
I turned to the mirror, and although I never said it or thought it, it always seemed that I asked the mirror, " Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the biggest disappointment of them all?"   Then those hardened hopeless eyes on the reflection would look right back at me, and as we locked eyes, I would fell like the biggest disappointment of them all.
I know these look like first world problems or an overreaction, but imagine failing in all you do, imagine failing on what you define yourself by  picking yourself by, imagine failing at what you love. Now imagine yourself forgetting who you were, and watching your identity getting snatched from you. Imagine being the sole reason behind all this, being the reason to why you're friends and family don't trust you anymore. When you feverishly point towards anything to blame but the rest of your fingers point right back at you as the cause of this fever that was almost bringing you to your demise.

But in this dark place, the brightest light shone at the end of the tunnel. A story of love authored by Great I AM got to where I was. The story is one sentence long, but it  reads longer than any past I had lost. The story is one sentence long but it feels better than a breeze on the hottest day, better than a cloud on a sunny afternoon. The story is one sentence but it's a pat on the back and a soft palm that wiped my tears away. The story is one sentence long but it's everything I desire and more than I can imagine. The story is one sentence long but it's better than any high that any drug(s) can make you experience. The story is a true story.
The story reads; "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
In my despair God reminded me of his gift to me, and I made the decision that I had postponed for most of my life (the time is now!). I accepted Jesus into my life and I asked the Lord to forgive me of my sins. And nothing else mattered, my problems didn't flee, I still had a long and difficult path to walk, but whenever I felt defeated all I had to do was to call upon God and all of my burdens were lifted.
It's not a cliché, it's not a claim that I am good or of what I have done, this is not me condemning others, rather this is me being a witness to God's awesome grace. I felt it, the new start, the new living translation in Ephesians 2:8 states,' God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.' To God be the glory, He stretched his loving hand to a sinner like me and embraced me, He made me spotless and gave me a clean slate, a slate that He wipes clean every time I fall, even when I don't deserve it, Jesus still loves me.
So whenever I feel like I am falling or failing,  I remember the words of 1st John 4:17, ' As Jesus Christ is, so are we in this world.' As Jesus is in heaven, with no sin, disease, fault, failure, stress, pain, lust, despair, troubles, worries, hunger, addiction, with no troubles of this world, so are we here on earth. Whenever I think about the mirror mirror on the wall, Jesus Christ reminds me, it's not me about me on this earth, it's about Himself.
And on that darkness beyond the window panes, He speaks these words to me, Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Hope and a future awaits me, and they await you too if you choose to let my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to save you today.

 It sounds like I'm possessive of Jesus when I say Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Saviour, but as a witness of what the Lord has done for me and the peace and joy that I now enjoy, you will understand why I am like this. For the Lord has restored my soul, and He restored the years the locust stole from me, and Jesus wants to be your Lord, Saviour, Restorer and your best friend. All you have to do is follow the instructions on the following scripture, Romans 10:9 'That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.'
Say this prayer with me, "Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus is Lord. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Saviour. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen.”

Read the Bible as much as you can, try and start with reading the Gospels, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John and read about the life of Jesus on this earth. Be a member of a Bible based church, follow what the Spirit of God tells you and in all circumstances Praise the Lord.
Be blessed.

 Then I was a boy and I was oblivious of what I was doing, now I am a man very aware and a witness of the Grace of God. Because of the Great I AM, I am. I am forgiven of all my sins, I am realizing God's purpose for me, I am at the best point of my professional career and sports career and I am free indeed. From a boy dreaming to a man living the dreams! Thank you God for Your Grace. This is my testimony.
Be Blessed.