My Testimony (Updated)

It happened at the youth rally this year, but I now see that people were trying to tell me what God had in store for me before then, and I just didn’t listen, and thought there was no way I was doing that.
It was during the evening event at the youth rally, that I just fell to pieces on the inside, this is when it all began to happen. Where God called me to officership. I’ve never had a feeling like it before. The band had just finished playing ‘In Christ alone’, and the line ‘Jesus commands my destiny’ kept going through my head.
The bus journey home that night was interesting. The weather was full gales of rain and snow, and my phone battery had died which meant I couldn’t tell anyone what just happened, and how I was feeling, I couldn’t even tell my youth worker as the rest of my youth group were screaming and all so hyper in the back of the bus. I sat there crying for the majority of the bus journey home, crying & questioning God.
I kept thinking, No way! I can’t do this, I was only 18 years old, and had hardly any experience of life. I kept thinking that I can’t lead people to the lord, but in amongst all my tears and upset, a friend told me…”yes you can. You brought Laura to the army!”
I was scared. I tried my best to block it all out, and it worked, for a while, but it didn’t last though.
One Friday night at Driven (our youth group), the week after the rally, it was all about feeling God’s call & what it was like when it happened & what being silent meant. For me, being silent was just sitting there, with the loud music in the background. There was another few nights that confirmed being called to officership, but I’ll only say one. It was a meeting led by Catherine Wyles, where she talked about how God gives us everything we need, in his time. So the doubts about not being able slowly fade away.

There’s a bible verse that stuck with me during the summer, and it’s Psalm 51 v 13 – 15…”Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise”

Things have changed a lot since February. I’ve been attending the Vocational Fellowship groups, and I’m going to be having meetings with my officers about everything.. I’ve already had a interview at DHQ, but more than anything, I have a year on my heart that God’s been telling me to go, that year being 2010.

To start with it was all scary to think in 3 years, I’ll be in London at Training college. But now that I’ve had time to think about it, it’s becoming more exciting, and I just know that it’s all in God’s hands.

(updated for Youth Councils, as Kelston asked me to share about officership)