"My experience is one that is especially amazing to me. I remember going to church when I was little but I don’t remember praying or asking Jesus into my heart. As the years went by, my family didn’t go to church anymore and I had grown accustomed to not going. My wife is a believer and was when we got married, but I was lost or should I say blinded as in 2 Corinthians 4:4. I was very selfish and thought that I could do anything I wanted no matter the consequences. I finally got to the point where I hit my knees and asked God to enter my heart, to never leave and to guide my life. I knew that he was the only way. Tears were streaming down my face and I have never felt anything like that peace at that moment. It was as if my shoulders were no longer heavy. Our Lord and Savior had entered me and forgiven all my transgressions.
After that emotional day, I didn’t know where to go, but God gave me guidance. I had never prayed before, so I asked my wife’s uncle who is a leader in his home church in Florida to disciple me and we started meeting weekly. I didn’t know what church to go to but my wife recommended on for me to visit until we chose First Baptist Church of Pearland to attend together. I didn’t have a Bible but with technology I downloaded the Bible on my phone and had access to every version. God was faithful and answered every prayer and equipped me with all of these blessings. Praise the Lord!
One day, I was driving home from dropping my wife at work and my daughter was talking gibberish in the backseat. It was, by all accounts, a normal morning. Suddenly, my heart lit up like a fire cracker and I felt goose bumps all over my body. I knew that somehow I had to tell everyone that I came in contact with who Jesus Christ is and what he has done. I had never felt like this before nor was I expecting this answer. God had spoken so clearly and I knew this was what I had to do.
When I was looking for employment in Texas, I found a commercial janitorial company who was hiring an operations manager. Since this had been my field of expertise for the past 10 years, I applied. The interview went very smooth and my qualifications were exactly what he was looking for. I intensely prayed for this job but after two weeks I hadn’t heard anything. One Sunday my Pastor asked how the job search was going and my wife replied that if I didn’t get this job then that would definitely be a sign that God had other plans for me. After another week of silence, I emailed the company. The response was disheartening to say the least. The door was closed which was beyond my understanding, but God’s plans were bigger than mine.
During all these days of waiting, I researched the company and among other things I saw that the owner had a Bachelor’s degree from Nazarene University. Since I was also looking for schools to further my education, this made me dig deeper. All of the colleges that I was interested in attending were Bible Colleges. After three days of seeking the Lord non-stop for his will about school, Nazarene Bible College caught my eye. I called and was kindly greeted and given information about the school. As I prayed, God very quickly opened doors in Colorado Springs. I called my friends and family asking them if they knew anyone was hiring. The quick response was amazing! Within one week I had a place to stay, a car and a job that was waiting for me. Praise the Lord for opening doors to where he wants me to study his word.
For so long, I was an operations manager for a commercial janitorial company. My main job responsibility was taking care of the clients and employees that I managed. On a daily basis, I visited different clients to make sure that their needs were met. Also, for two years I was a trainer at a call center. It was my passion to help people understand the curriculum that I was teaching. Talking in front of a crowd was never a problem for me. I know that with the right guidance, I can effectively spread the word. I have never been to college before, however I do know that my calling is to be a Pastor and spread the good news. I have never been more sure of anything in my life. He is my light and my salvation. I trust that God will lead me to what tools and resources I need to accomplish this. I want to learn everything I can at Nazarene about our Lord and Savior.
As I attended my church in Pearland, I saw our senior pastor, Pastor Sonny, and my Sunday school teacher, Jason, explain the word with incredible knowledge and understanding. Everyone is there to worship our Lord and Savior, to help the lost, to minister to each other and to learn more about God. Now more than ever I know that this is what I am called to do. I see myself in the pulpit and in front of a Sunday school class explaining the word. I will greatly miss my church but I know that God is sending me on a different path that will glorify him. So as Jesus calls in Matthew 4:19, I am following and will always follow his path!"
Praise the Lord for his continued faithfulness in our lives!
