I grew up in a Christian home. We were Lutherans and went to church on Sundays. Easter and Christmas were major traditions in our lives. But we only knew about God, we did not know Him intimately.
I got married in church, had 2 children, had them baptized and served on church structures like a good Christian should. But something was always missing. I had severe post-natal depression after the birth of my second baby, and went to several psychiatrists. Several people came to pray for me, but it did not get much better. I managed on medication, but always had a feeling that something was missing….
We moved in 1993, and had to start over in a new town and with new friends. One weekend a new friend women I met asked me to accompany her to a ladies retreat. I kept on putting her off, but eventually I had to go just to get her off my back!
A few of my new German lady friends joined us, and off we went. The first evening was great, and I recommitted my life to Jesus Christ. The next day we listened to a few teachings, and after lunch we had a few hours to rest and reflect. This is when God started talking to me and asked me “what about baptism?” I was shocked, because I dealt with the same issue a few years before, and told God straight that I was baptized as a baby, so this was not for me!
The thought would not leave me, and eventually I decided: “What can I lose if I obeyed God? Let’s do it!” That evening, after the last session, there was an opportunity for anyone who wanted to be baptized in the swimming pool. I went in and the most amazing peace washed over me. Two of my German friends also went for baptism, afterwards we just laughed and praised God.
During the following week I could not stop smiling. By the Wednesday I had to confess to my husband what I had done, and two weeks later he also went to the men’s retreat and was baptized. Our spiritual life intensified and we started a small cell group at our house.
We lived on my father’s farm and my parents stayed in the new house next door, so we saw each other every day. My father was an elder on the Lutheran church board. We did not tell anyone about our commitment, except our new brethren in Christ. It was something we wanted to cherish.
One evening my father came back from a board meeting and confronted us. He was disgusted to learn that his own daughter had dishonored him by being baptized, something the Lutheran Church does not condone. He insisted that I go to the church elders and repent of my disobedience, and confess that I did wrong. I told my dad that I did nothing wrong, and especially not against him as my father.
He told me that he would disinherit me, but I said I would rather be disobedient to him than disobey God’s commandments. He stormed out of the house, after he told us that we were not allowed to have any cell meetings on his farm anymore. He would not greet me the next morning, and for the next month he behaved as if we did not exist. Then my mother had a serious back operation, and she developed kidney failure and nearly died. He called me from hospital and asked that we pray for her. When she finally came home, I had to cook for them, feed and wash her for a month until she could walk again. I went into their home every morning, and greeted my father by hugging him sweetly and asked him how my mother’s night was. He had no choice, he had to talk to me again. With God’s love in my heart, I could overcome the hatred and replace it with love.
God opened a door for us to move out by providing a new plot of land. Within two months we built a house and moved in and there we had many meetings with prophets and pastors guiding us on the new way.
A few years later, my father had to sell his farm (which was an inheritance over 3 generations) because a new highway was built through his property. We offered him the best piece of our land, where he built a new house. We showed him true Agape love, in spite of what he did. I was close to my mother until she passed away after a long battle with cancer. My father is now dependent on me. I pray that he will be freed from his traditions and serve the living God.
If and when this Testimony has spoken into your heart, please go to the Commitment page.