Share my Testimonial and encourage others to do the same.

Its awesome to see so many people have adopted this goal. I hope they take the time to share, and then invite someone else (or a few people) to do the same!!

When I left God behind in my life was roughly the time my best friend died. I had recently been going through a lot of struggle with early symptoms of Bipolar disorder, and had a lot of “why me” questions God didnt seem to be answering.

The ‘last straw’ for me was when my best friend died. He was only 21, and one of the gentlest, selfless people I had ever known. At the funeral I felt so detatched from the service. I remember thinking of how many people deserved to die, and how much he deserved to live.

I began looking at other options, wicca, druidism, all the old world religions had such an appeal to me, looking inside myself and some godesses for the answers.

Toward the end of year 12 my life fell apart. My mental illness had reached a critical point, I lost alot of friends, and was hospitalised for several months. When I got out I had no desire to live life anymore, I began hanging out with all the people my mother had warned me about, taking drugs, drinking, doing anything i could to escape my head.

Then one summer I spent time at a cafe run by a Christian Youth Group. They let me get up and sing, which I loved, so I hung round, mostly so I could jump up on stage every time anyone put down their guitar.

They talked to me about religion, not much, but enough. I felt pretty detatched from the conversation, I just loved having fun.

On new years eve, I spent the night at the cafe, dancing and having fun. At midnight we watched the fireworks and literally were dancing on the street. At around 12.30 I went to my friends house for a party. Everyone was drunk, stoned, out of it, and compared with the fun I had been having, boring as hell!!

I went home that night and opened my bible. I opened it right to “Jonah” and read the whole chapter.

There is a section in the Chapter where Jonah flees to the desert to escape the plans God has for him, and God creates a Giant plant to cover him from the heat of the sun. The next day God takes the plant away, and Jonah gets royally pissed, wondering why God would do that, and shouts at him.

Goad says to Jonah “What right do you have do be upset? You didnt care for the plant, feed it, water it, and yet you are angry?”

I realised then that my life was Jonahs plant. I was upset that my life sucked, I was upset at God for my Mental illness, for being stuck in hospital durin my exams, for not having a job, yet instead of trying to make a change, I spent my day with people who didnt care about life, collected a pension and wasted days and weeks “hanging around”.

I picked my life back up, dedicated it to God, and in 3 years have a steady job, own my own home, have an amazing fiancee who is the love of my life and have never stopped watering my plant!!

I find that, no matter what religion people are, there is a point where you experience it in a tangible way. The point where you stop just going to church and truely start knowing God, the point where a miracle is worked in your own life, the point where you know your God and have no doubt they know you.

I am fascinated by how people come to find their God, and would love for people to share their stories.

I am a Christian, but my overwhelming religious curiosity knows no denomination or faith. Everyone is welcome to share.