Pam
Samaritan Women Testimony
My name is Pam. I would like to share with you my
testimony of how God has changed my life in such a miraculous way. I am the
oldest of five siblings. My dad is a Baptist preacher and my mother a
Sunday School Teacher, both for 42 years. I am very blessed to have been
born into a Christian family. My parents are wonderful people of God. At
the young age of six, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and then again at
age nine, just to be sure. At about age nine, I started taking piano
lessons. I had about 1 ½ to 2 years of lessons but was able to teach myself
(with much practice) some more advanced piano-playing. I soon began playing
piano at church services.
About the time I started the 7th grade, I remember
feeling so different, so out-of-place with my peers and so “not accepted”,
to the point that it affected my self-esteem in an almost unbearable way. I
remember my peers in school being very cruel to me. During my teenage
years, I remember I would pray sometimes at night before I went to
bed. I don't remember reading my Bible too much though, except when at
church. I did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I never
brought my sorrows to Jesus. I knew ABOUT Jesus, but I did not
KNOW Jesus. At the age of 18, I was ready to leave home. I had become
rebellious and just wanted to do my own thing. I wanted to fit in so badly
and wanted people to like me. This made me very vulnerable and gullible.
Straight out of high school (1984), I got my first job at an
insurance company. I had already begun experimenting with drugs and with
men. At age 18, my brother David (10 ½ months younger than myself) was
killed in an automobile accident. At this point, my drug use became even
more severe. For the next seven years, I was what is known as a "working
drug user", able to keep my job and still use drugs at the same time. I
then became pregnant with my first child Nikki.
After Nikki was born, my drug abuse problem spiraled me downward
to the point of being separated from Nikki and to being homeless. Then in
1995, I began having problems with the law. In about January of 1996, I
can remember sensing and knowing that God was working on my heart. I
remember feeling like I needed Jesus in my life, like He was the only way
out of the pit I had dug for myself. In March of 1996, I found myself in
jail again. I just knew Jesus was knocking at my heart’s door, and He had
my undivided attention. I knew I needed to give my heart and my life to
Him. I was so sorry for all the sins I had committed against God. I
was ready for Jesus to take control. On March 7, 1996, I went to chapel
services at jail. I remember Betty Arnold was there that night. I just
poured out my heart to Betty and told her I was ready to invite Jesus into
my heart and life, which I did.
While in jail, I would become so anxious when I knew it was time
for Nancy Dixon to come around with her Bible Studies and with her Jesus
smile and with her words of encouragement. She came on a Tuesday, and I
told her I was being released that night. She gave me the address for the
Wednesday Morning Bible Study. I went to Bible Study the next day with my
daughter Nikki, age four. Since that time, I have fallen short. Especially
when we first become Christians, Satan is always right in front of our face,
enticing us with things of the world, trying to get our attention focused
off of God and back on him. But God has never let me stay
backslidden. God has chastened me and disciplined me. Hebrews 12:6 says
"For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He
receives."
And how has God changed my life?
He took me from a filthy, disgusting, wretched, slimy pit--a life of
alcohol, drug and sexual abuse; and He set my feet on a solid foundation,
Jesus Christ. He took all my hopelessness, unworthiness, despair,
loneliness and sorrow and replaced it with Jesus' love, joy and peace. I
have always been in awe at how Jesus can change a heart, how He changed my
heart. The things I used to love are now the things I hate, and the things
I used to hate are now the things I love. Only Jesus can do that.
REALITY: Life, with its problems, can be very difficult at times; but I
do have Jesus, and He is my guide and my strength. He has promised to
never leave me nor forsake me. I know God is in control of my life, and I
trust Him completely with whatever comes my way. I know He will see me
through. Three years ago, I made a promise to God that I would always put
Him first and that I would not let anything or anyone come between me and my
God. Psalms 112:1 says "Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears
the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments." When I read that
verse, I took it literally. God has blessed me with two healthy and
beautiful girls, Nikki and Kylie. God has blessed me with my own
transcription business, so that I was able to stay home (for a season) with
my children. God has most recently (after prayer) opened up a door for me
to rent a house, in my price range. Psalms 37:4 says "Delight yourself
in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." That is
a promise from God!
And now God has given me another desire of my heart: to somehow
be more involved with Samaritan Women. I know Jesus is Who saved me and
set me free. However, Samaritan Women leaders have invested and built into
my life and have had a tremendous and priceless impact on my
Christian/Spiritual growth and have helped to steer and lead me in the right
direction. For some time now, it has been a desire of my heart to be more
deeply involved with Samaritan Women. As of March 3, 2003, I am employed
full-time at Samaritan Women and am now the Office Manager. Now I am able
to further put back into Samaritan Women and trust that God will use me to
help other women and to further the Kingdom of God.
I am a Samaritan Woman,
and God has changed my heart and my life; He can change your heart and your
life also if you will let Him. Trust God! He will never let you down. He
will never give you second best. He will always give you THE BEST!
In Deuteronomy 28, God promises, "...if you diligently obey the voice of
God and obey His commandments (do not turn to the right or to the left), God
will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not
beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God…and are careful
to observe them.” I have recently been reflecting on all God has done
for me in the past seven years. He has set me free, given me eternal life
and blessed me abundantly, more than words could ever say. Thank you,
Jesus!
Samaritan
Women
