Testimony of a Teen ~By Persephanie "Penny" Reyes

A thank you letter to God

When I was asked to write my testimony my throat grew small, and I had no idea how to put my words on paper. I am sixteen, and I was queasy on how to even write a testimony. I finally sat down on my bedroom floor and prayed.

"Lord what do I know of your incredible Holiness? What can I possibly bring to people who read this? Please give me your wisdom, put words in my mouth that will encourage, open eyes, and help to brighten people in their lives. Lead me the exact words you want me to write, and I will gladly re-write them a thousand times. Amen."

I can share one similarity with all of you, I am 100% human. I have made mistakes. I was the one who snuck an extra cookie at age six when I was deliberately told not to. I was the one who stole car keys and treated people who were older than me with little or no respect. I was the one who experimented with swear words and revolting sex jokes when I first entered middle school. I was the one who treated her body, her spirit, and her mind like none of it mattered. I was also the one who found the number one reason I am living and breathing here today. I am one of God's little children, and he presented me with a remarkable gift that people would be absolutely mad to deny. The gift of everlasting life!!

While praying I constantly thought, "What am I going to write? What do I possibly know of the Holy God?" That's when these words sounded unusually familiar. After a couple of seconds of you-tube browsing, I found it. Addison Road; What do I know of Holy.

Not many songs about God make me stop and think why the artist would choose a certain phrase or verse, which is why this song is important to me. I am using this song as the foundation of my testimony, or am using it to help explain it. "Here I go God!!"

"I try to hear from heaven, but I talk the whole time. I think I've made you too small."

These words burn so painfully because I know they are true. When I listened to this, I couldn't help thinking how selfish I am on a day-to-day basis. I throw random pity parties about the little things that get me in life. I can hear my Mom's words in my head "You baby, get over it!" Tough love hurts, but as always, she is right. How often do I press the pause button on my life just to listen to my Father speak? Why do I talk and whine about things that won't even matter in twenty years? Even if I know He will still be the most important thing in the universe in twenty quadrillion years from now? He has so much wisdom to share with me and you, so why do we often forget how GREAT He is?

"If you touched my face would I know you? Looked into my eyes... would I behold you?"

"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 15:19

If your like me, you hate being hated. However Satan already hates me because I accepted Jesus. I'm glad I realized that it's a privilege to be hated by the world, because it means I am apart of something so much BIGGER!! I know my AWESOME POWERFUL God died on a great big cross and went through a plethora of pain!! And I have to remind myself to double-take the decision to let my attitude affect others. I don't ever want to hurt someone with a negative attitude, when I could be sharing the gift of Jesus with them!!

I love knowing the fact that I am part of this GREAT BIG FAMILY, and my slate is clean of sin because Jesus died for me!! What an awesome thing to do Father!! I often get so frustrated when I lose sight of the path I am on. Top phobia on my list: burning in Hell for all eternity. I want to stay on the teeny-tiny, winding path that only few get to walk on!! Remember who your Father is, know that you are accounted for. Always hold onto God and it won't even matter if the whole world is against you!! I am waiting for Him to come someday. That will be the day He will wrap me in his arms and I will know him, because I have belonged to him since before time was even created.

"What do I know of You, who spoke me into motion? Where have I even stood, but the shore along Your ocean? Are You fire? Are You fury? Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? What do I know? What do I know of Holy?"

I have known who Jesus was my whole life. It was only a year ago when I put my complete soul in Jesus' hands. I was not a nice person to be around when I was younger. I look back just a few short years ago and I feel ashamed. Teachers did not like my attitude, I swore, many of my peers were not my friends (no one liked my back-stabbing actions), I took the Lords name in vain, and the church was not my family. I have thought about the possibility of people being as grudging as I was at one point.

God has helped me so much in repairing my life. My mouth is a sharp as a two sided sword. That scares me, I could do a lot of damage. I pray everyday that I don't destruct the beautiful creation around me. He molded me, He knew what my quirks would be, He knew the exact genetic make-up I would posses. He gave me life, and I am so thankful. I am thankful I know and love the creator of the stars, sun, moon and sky. What an incredible question you have given me to ponder: "What do I know of Holy?" Now that I know with-out-a-doubt He is my Father I get to spend my life rejoicing and learning about Him!!

Dear Lord,

Thank you for giving me such a soul-searching song to relate to. Thank you for giving me O2 to inhale and CO2 to exhale. Thank you for constantly picking me back up from the ground and standing me up again. Thank you for tugging my heart back to you when I become caught up in my own life. Thank you for giving me wonderful people in my life that you used as tools to guide me to you. Thank you for loving me first, and last. Thank you for putting me on this Earth so I can plant seeds in hearts using your breath-taking name. I need to love you, thank you times a quadrillion for letting me. Thank you thank you thank you!! I am golden, I am good; all because you worked on me and shaped me to be an image like you. You gave me happiness, You gave me tears, You gave me life!!

Love, your daughter Persephanie

Persephanie "Penny" Reyes, Snohomish, WA and Haileigh Bakko

Note from Ronda~

This is my darling Persephanie.  I have blogged about her before.  You can read it here: Penny

Penny,

I stand here, awestruck.  Praising God as I read each word, and now, praising God as I type each word.  I get to praise God for you.  For the blessing you are to me, and for the blessing you will be to all who read your beautiful words that flow from a beautiful heart.

I praise him for putting you in my life.  I am so grateful for you.  I am so proud of you.  I love you so much you might as well be my daugther.  Although that would mean I had you when I was 13 and that would just be strange.  So, I shall love you as a cherished friend, and Sister in the Lord.  Treasured as a gift, because that is what you are.

I am so excited to see all God is going to do in your life as you grow in him.  Your energetic vibrant light shines...keep shining.

xoxo

Ronda

Oh and one last thing...be gentle with people...our bodies can break. (She is a forceful hugger, BUT I LOVE HER!)