My Train Wreck Conversion
Then, one ordinary day, I came to Jesus, openhanded and naked. In this war of worldviews, Ken was there. Floy was there. The church that had been praying for me for years was there. Jesus triumphed. And I was a broken mess. Conversion was a train wreck. I did not want to lose everything that I loved. But the voice of God sang a sanguine love song in the rubble of my world. I weakly believed that if Jesus could conquer death, he could make right my world. I drank, tentatively at first, then passionately, of the solace of the Holy Spirit. I rested in private peace, then community, and today in the shelter of a covenant family, where one calls me "wife" and many call me "mother."
I have not forgotten the blood Jesus surrendered for this life.
And my former life lurks in the edges of my heart, shiny and still like a knife.
Rosaria Champagne Butterfield is the author of The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert (Crown & Covenant). She lives with her family in Durham, North Carolina, where her husband pastors the First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham.
A Fractured and Beautiful Faith
Streaming This Weekend, May 24, 2013
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jim achmoody
What a powerful testimony/story which is so much better than any debate or argument. A changed life is the best advertizement for the power of faith. I hope she keeps writing as she has such a gift. So glad I heard her on the radio on 'understanding the times' yesterday.
Christine Jones
My comment is to Kimberly Knight who describes herself as "a lesbian who also had a radical transformation because of faith in Jesus." I went to your blog on patheos and learned that your "radical transformation" is of a different variety than our subject author's-- as you state there that you are currently in a committed lesbian relationship. i think it was a little bit misleading of you to imply that your "transformation" was in any way similar to Rosaria's when it bears so little resemblance to hers. I, for one, was disappointed when I saw the truth on your blog. I have lots of close gay and lesbian friends. I also know a few who have renounced that life and are living and walking a straight life with Jesus. You implied you were someone like the latter group. I'm curious about why you chose to describe yourself in that way here and in a different way over at patheos.
Lee Hall
Thank you for your beautiful testimony.