What brought Kelli closer to the Lord? By Kelli Johnson
Could it have been my car accident in 2012?
Was it the Catholic schools I attended from K-12 and the mandatory religion class and weekly mass?
Was it my grandpa and the village that showed me through their words and actions how great God is?
Was it the Christian Youth Fellowship in which I was secretary as a child?
Was it my Learning to Serve class my senior year of high school?
Was it my adoption, my second chance in 1986?
Was it being a servant leader in outreach ministry and seeing God open doors and putting me in rooms I didn’t belong?
Was it my mentor Sis Bradley who provided me with crucial insight when I asked how to have faith like Joyce in Breakthrough?
I can’t pinpoint just one thing that brought me closer to the Lord, as all these things played a major role. Seeds were planted early in my life, and I always knew whom I could go to when I couldn’t go to anyone else. I knew who would love me unconditionally! Despite the questionable decisions I made throughout my life, God never turned His back on me! When I got to college, I did, like most people, and partied and partied some more. My GPA went from a 3.4 my first semester to a 1.6 my second semester. I wasn’t focused. Sophomore year, I tried everything in my power to bring my grades back up; it was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do. I had always been an A and B student. Not anymore. I continued trying to get my GPA back up, and somehow, throughout all the parties and drinking, I was able to graduate with a 3.16 GPA. Not the best, but acceptable all things considered. I went on to enroll in graduate school. I don’t know what I was thinking. I got a full-time job making good money on campus. I built a lot of relationships and got to know so many people on campus.
Everything was fun until it wasn’t. I was trying to be in places I had no business being. I was doing the absolute most, but I knew it. I was unhappy, and my mental health was getting bad. My temper was horrible. I knew I wasn’t living right, so I decided to go home for the weekend. I drove 8 hours. I got home to Cincinnati, and I went to church on Sunday before heading back to school and work that night. I ended up making that drive a few times, going to church each time. Finally, one Sunday I found myself at the altar, giving myself to God and confessing that He was my Lord and Savior. I’m not sure how I got to the altar that day, but I was there, and I had taken the biggest step of my life. My pastor at the time said I needed to take new member/ baptism classes, so every Sunday I was at church by 10 am to go over these lessons. I drove back and forth every weekend. I studied and read my Bible while at work and completed my assignments. And on May 6th, 2012, I was baptized. The absolute best decision I ever made!
These things in my life brought me to the Lord, but staying there is a different conversation! It’s a daily decision to put God first, to try to do your best, to work with Him on your flaws and weaknesses, to make the conscious effort to read, study, and grow in His word! To gather and associate with like-minded Christians. Reshape your mind and your focus. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of times when I just wanted to walk away, BUT God is good all the time! We have to remember that God is all we need. Go to Him in prayer, tell Him your wants and needs, thank Him for His faithfulness, grace, and mercy! Know that above all things God will never leave you or forsake you! Nothing is too big for God! There is no wrong or right way to begin your journey; you have to profess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. I encourage everyone, no matter where you are in life, to give God 10 minutes of your time a day to start.