I used to think my testimony wasn’t very interesting. How could sharing my testimony encourage someone else to love and follow God? I didn’t have any huge transformation. God didn’t save me out of an addiction or abuse. As I’ve listened to other believers recount their testimonies, my heart ached with them over the hardships that they endured. I never wanted my testimony to have the appearance of bragging or to add to the pain of what they already endured.

But a couple years ago, after sharing my testimony with a friend, her response completely humbled me. She said, ‘Shanda, your testimony gives me hope that my kids CAN have a testimony like yours. One without heartache and pain. It’s a testimony of God’s promise of a godly heritage being fulfilled.’ (paraphrased)

Here I wasn’t sharing my testimony because I thought it wasn’t good enough, but really it was me not sharing the goodness and faithfulness of my heavenly Father! Shame on me.

I come from a long line of Christians. As far back as I can look on my mom’s side of the family, most every grandparent, great grandparent and great-great grandparent loved the Lord.

One night when I was 3 or 4 years old, I remember my mom reading me a bedtime story about Jonah and the whale. When she was done reading, I told her I didn’t want to run from God like Jonah did and asked her to help me ‘ask Jesus into my heart.’

After praying a very simple prayer in childlike faith, my mom suggested we call my dad at work (he was working night shift) and tell him about the decision I had made. He was as a little skeptical that such a young child could fully understand the concept of salvation, so when I told him I ‘asked Jesus into my heart’ he responded with, ‘Well what’s he doing in there?!’

After thinking for a moment, I said, ‘He’s cleaning,’

Friends, Jesus said to let the little children come unto him. So often I think we are inhibiting children from doing just that because we don’t think they are capable of understanding. Sure, I’ve grown so much in knowledge of the Lord since that day… But faith is simple. It’s understanding that we are imperfect and we need a perfect Savior to wash us clean. Children know they do bad things… Why not lead them to the One who can wash all those bad things ‘clean?’

A godly heritage is real mama. The work you are doing in laying down the foundation of the Gospel is important. The Gospel is simple. We tend to over complicate it.

Let the little children come unto Him, and never question the testimony he has given you because God uses all people in all walks of life… And he wants to use YOU.