| Learning the Love of God |
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Michelle Chambers fought battle after battle for her two disabled children, and was spiritually exhausted and  dissatisfied. Then a friend prayed for her.From a small child I remember always believing in God as the creator of everything. However, it has only been the last two years that I have truly trusted God and have felt a real relationship with him. I attended church for much of my life, but over the years I became discontented and began to question – particularly why I did not feel any different when I came out of church from when I went in. I now realise that attending a church every week did not make me a Christian any more than being in a garage would make me a car! Life for me has not been without challenges. I have been married for nearly 19 years and been blessed with three lovely children. Two of my children have a severe language disorder which is not catered for educationally locally. Over five years I have found it painful coming to terms with their disability, and often wondered “Why me?” On top of that I had to fight many exhausting legal battles with the local authority for an appropriate education. We had to make a decision no parent should really have to make, which was to send two of our children to board away at a specialist school during the week. This decision was and is very hard, but we just learn to live with it best we can. Nearly two years ago while on holiday I met a wonderful Christian called Diane who talked endlessly and joyfully about her relationship with Jesus. I quickly realised that I desperately wanted what she had – a personal relationship with Christ. That day Diane prayed for me, something I will never forget because I felt something wonderful happen to me. I felt born again in spirit and I knew I finally trusted in God. I looked back over my painful years and could clearly see God had always been there for me, and that he never failed to provide the right people along the way to help me. I could now see that I had been trying to get through life by myself and that my burdens would have been so much less had I trusted in God. I now know God wants me to use my understanding and experience to help others. In August 2009 I felt extremely drawn to a new church. This church felt so warm, so joyful, and I loved the modern worship songs which allow me to express my worship, passion, and love of God. Since then I have fully realised how crucial it is to study the Bible and try to live according to the words in that book. However, the closer to God I get the more I realise how imperfect I am, and I often feel the battle between the good and bad in me. When this battle happens I know I can always rely on God’s Spirit and his words to direct me in the right direction. Words cannot express how amazed I am by God’s amazing forgiveness and grace in giving Christ his son to the world, to lose his life for each of us. I now have peace in knowing that anything I have done wrong is forgiven if I am truly sorry and bring it to God through Christ. I know each day I am slowly but surely being transformed. I finally feel I belong in a very precious Christian family which I value so very very much. I have never felt so fulfilled as I do now. I know I want to live for God and serve him for his glory. Michelle told her story at her baptism recently at Hockliffe St, Leighton Buzzard |
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