Bethany’s Testimony:
Growing up, Jesus to me was small and not important in my life. I have grown up going to church every Sunday, but never grasped the concept of Jesus. I grew up Catholic and believed that the way to heaven was through doing good works and believing that Jesus died for me. But the portion of that good work was so evident in my life as I was always a Hard worker.
My life was driven by hard work and self-sufficiency, which manifested itself in anxiety and fear that I was never doing enough. I was a gymnast who vainly overworked my body until I could go any longer because that’s what I thought I had to do. That also played into how I thought God saw me. I thought, if I pray the rosary more, he’ll answer my prayers for me to be successful more. I saw God as someone who would answer me more the harder I tried as if God wasn’t sovereign over all.
Through frustration and trial of failing at my idol ( gymnastics) no matter how hard I worked, I began to question the goodness of God. But I knew I needed something in my life that was stable, so my dad graciously sent me some Dr. David Jeremiah podcasts to listen to. I listen to them for a few months and started to grasp more on the concept of “saved by grace.”
But it took me at my lowest point in my gymnastics career for Jesus to show up and say “ Bethany you are carrying a heavy burden and living for something other than me! If you just except me, I can show you the riches of my grace and change your heart into the likeness of mine. You will only find the fullness you are looking for In me, just trust me!
It was then I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior!
I’m not saying my life is perfect or that I have no trials in life, my life is full of them! But now I see the greater purpose of it all! Living for Christ and “dying “ to myself is the absolute BEST decision I’ve ever made. I have a hope that can ONLY BE FOUND in CHRIST!
I am no longer defined through my failures and success, but by the love of the one who conquered death!#JesusChangedMyLife
Bethany and Rachel – thank you so much for sharing your testimonies! As a former competitive gymnast myself, I know when you’re worshiping gymnastics more than the One who have His life for us. I accepted Jesus before my competitive career started but never prioritized Him until honestly my senior year of college. I would get mad at God when I was sidelined by frequent and severe injuries but now see how each of them were instrumental for His plan. The struggle between prioritizing God first against my love for running (sport “career” 2.0) is still something I work to overcome even at age 28.
Endlessly impressed with the way you both share your faith with your recipe content too. Going to make the applesauce bread this week!
Thank you so much Holly! That’s so awesome that we all share a similar path- Praise be to the Lord and his Neverending Grace! 🙂
I would get mad at God when I was sidelined by frequent and severe injuries but now see how each of them were instrumental for His plan. I can show you the riches of my grace and change your heart into the likeness of mine. I impressed with the way you both share your faith with your recipe content too.