Do you have a strong testimony because of the way you were raised?

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One of my friend’s emailed me & asked how I got my testimony. She was wondering about this because she grew up in a religious family - not Catholic, but very faithful to their religion. She said she just always believed because that was how she was raised.
So, I thought I’d share my testimony with you guys & see if any of you wanted to share your stories, too. I won’t get into too much detail - probably more info than you’d all want to know.
Anyway, I guess I always knew Jesus was real, but I didn’t live like it for a long time. When I was 15 I dated a guy who was 17 and very abusive - physically & mentally. I stayed with him for about 2 years before “getting smart”. Then I married someone else when I was 20, he ended up dying when I was 21 & I guess that was when I started getting “serious” about God. Inbetween the boyfriend & the 1st husband, I lived a crazy life. Used drugs, didn’t take care of myself, etc. There were so many times I should have died, but didn’t - thank GOD! I just know from my own personal experience when I was in my darkest times, I just called out to God & he was there for me and saved me.
Now I am happily married again to a great guy & have 3 boys.
Oh, and I started RCIA classes this month.
 
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momof3boys:
One of my friend’s emailed me & asked how I got my testimony. She was wondering about this because she grew up in a religious family - not Catholic, but very faithful to their religion. She said she just always believed because that was how she was raised.
So, I thought I’d share my testimony with you guys & see if any of you wanted to share your stories, too. I won’t get into too much detail - probably more info than you’d all want to know.
Anyway, I guess I always knew Jesus was real, but I didn’t live like it for a long time. When I was 15 I dated a guy who was 17 and very abusive - physically & mentally. I stayed with him for about 2 years before “getting smart”. Then I married someone else when I was 20, he ended up dying when I was 21 & I guess that was when I started getting “serious” about God. Inbetween the boyfriend & the 1st husband, I lived a crazy life. Used drugs, didn’t take care of myself, etc. There were so many times I should have died, but didn’t - thank GOD! I just know from my own personal experience when I was in my darkest times, I just called out to God & he was there for me and saved me.
Now I am happily married again to a great guy & have 3 boys.
Oh, and I started RCIA classes this month.
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Thx for sharing your story! Praise the Lord!! Yes, God is so faithful and will never let us down–I am just SO happy you’re beginning RCIA. What a life-changing experience it will be for you. I just was confirmed this past Easter, what a Joy!!!

Luv,
Sparkle
 
Thank you, Sparkle. I am very excited about my RCIA classes. I can hardly wait until next Easter!
 
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momof3boys:
Thank you, Sparkle. I am very excited about my RCIA classes. I can hardly wait until next Easter!
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Hey–I know someone from Vacaville! Will PM ya~~
 
BTW: My testimony is that I was raised in the perfect Christian home with 2 loving parents, (Dad, a Prot Pastor). I was given tons of love, reassurance, never saw my parents fight–they still hold hands after 58 yrs. of marriage, and have always been a loving, Godly example to everyone in their lives. I began to question the strong Prot. views of my family around college age----became an Episcopalian–which my kids were baptized as, had numerous adventures as a young adult, then married my current H 17 yrs. ago. I have discovered the amazing Truth and Fullness of the Catholic Faith finally, and am the only Catholic in my huge Prot. family—(many of whom are strong anti-Catholics–and pastors)–making things very difficult at times. But I know God has a plan for me in this challenge. My 15yo son is entering confirmation program this month, and I so pray that we two at least, in our family, can be God’s instruments to our family and friends as Catholics. Pray for us!🙂 And for my H that he will one day discover what I have. I will continue to pray for you momof3boys in your awesome discovery of what God has in store for you as a Catholic. PTL!!

God Bless~~
Sparkle
 
I don’t know if it’s really a “testimony”, but I am a cradle Catholic whose parents divorced when I was six. Had my parents worked things out, I probably would never have fallen away at all. As it is, I’ve never considered myself to be anything but Catholic. That’s not to say that it’s their “fault”, but just that divorce is so very hard on children. I look at the children of my older, devout Catholic friends and marvel at the wonderful effects of a stable, loving home. I’m glad I’ve come back to the Faith on my own, but I sure wish that I could have had that as part of my life all of the way through.
 
I didn’t think a “testimony” was part of the package when you were a cradle Catholic. As I remember it we were told what to do, when to get there, what we could and couldn’t wear and how often we had to do it and then fell in line. At some point in the maturation process it becomes ingrained and you no longer need to be told/reminded. Am I missing something?
 
I don’t know, IO. I’m not really familiar with the idea of a “testimony”, but at some point you do decide to take your Faith into your own hands, and that usually comes with some soul-searching, even if you were raised Catholic. I was interpreting the question of the OP to be kind of “do you feel that the way you were raised really affected your path in the Church?” Maybe I misinterpreted. If so, feel free to ignore. It won’t be the first time I post something and people scratch their heads.
 
I think the New Testament gives us two great, very different examples of testimonies. One is Paul, who has the very commonly known testimony of living a life of evil/sin, who hears Jesus’ call and makes the choice to follow Him right then and there. His life is forever changed. The less often thought-of testimony is shown through Timothy, who was raised in the faith and kept continually seeking and growing.

I can relate much more to Timothy, as I was raised in the Catholic faith and can p(name removed by moderator)oint numerous times in my life where my faith was boosted and deepened, but none that really spectacular life-changing, once and for all testimony. Some of my bigger turns: In high school I thought awhile of becoming protestant because none of the Catholics my age were really into living their faith, and that’s what I wanted to be doing. Once my protestant friends started questioning Catholic beliefs though, I began doing my own research which really began to draw me in. I can really relate this to my dad, who was always very spiritual. I went to him with my questions and saw his example of constantly turning to the Scriptures and rosary. And in college I made a huge decision to transfer to an awesome Catholic college that was going to build me up, rather than the nominal Catholic college that was dragging me down. At the time I had no idea how it would work out, but I had the peace that passes all understanding from the Holy Spirit.
 
Yes, that was my question. Do you think the way you were raised affected your faith, or did you come to it on your own. And if anyone wanted to share their stories, then we’d love to hear them.
 
wow, thank you goravens. That was exactly what I was talking about. You definitely hit the nail on the head. I am one of the ones who lived an evil (or maybe just really, really sinful life) and then was changed instantly. Praise Jesus! And my best friend is someone like you who was raised in the church (her church) and I think both ways are so awesome & I love hearing people’s stories about their faith. Thank you again! 😃
 
I think as someone mentioned above, no matter how one was raised, there needs to be and usually is, a point in one’s life where they “claim their faith as their own”. They take a stand for their beliefs, they feel passionate about Jesus, and they choose their path. Regardless of their upbringing. I do feel just to do something because “that’s the way I was raised” and “I’m supposed to do this”------just doesn’t cut it for me. As an adult, we need to own our own beliefs, our FAITH, our morals. Sometimes it comes at a younger age for some, at an older age for others, but the important thing is that it comes, period, through prayer and soul searching. PTL. In Holy Scripture somewhere it says: That which God has begun a good work in, it will be finished to the day of Christ’s coming–or something to that effect. I just say PTL (Praise the Lord) because God knows all of our journeys, however different, but HE always knows best for our lives. We all need to turn it over to Him, and HE will always direct our paths. Prov. 3:5. *"**Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of Him, and He will make straight your paths." ***
We all have a testimony–and they are all special!!!

Sparkle
 
Island Oak:
I didn’t think a “testimony” was part of the package when you were a cradle Catholic. As I remember it we were told what to do, when to get there, what we could and couldn’t wear and how often we had to do it and then fell in line. At some point in the maturation process it becomes ingrained and you no longer need to be told/reminded. Am I missing something?
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What you are missing is that you actually have a wonderful testimony! You have stood up against the world in general and lived you faith to the fullest! That’s a wonderful testimony that not many people have.

We all have a testimony!

Momof3boys - I will share my testimony. Started dating a guy when I was 15 also, he was 18. Abusive emotionally. No you can do this or that. Yes, you are fat. No, you can’t wear any lipstick. You look horrible. All those nice things. He also enjoyed forcing himself on me a lot. Yes, I will call it rape.

I got smart and the summer after I graduated high school…Yes I dated him for 4 almost 5 years, I broke up with him. Then I started college. Oh my, how fun. Partying was not the word. Smoked grass and drank alot. I too should be DEAD.

I was raised Baptist, but left church when I thought I had a brain of my own. My parents also stopped attending church about that time because of some “disagreement” within the church. Then when I was 22, I met my husband. We still partied alot, but my husband had a strong belief in God.

I had a scare with cancer, surgery took care of it when I was 23. My husband asked me to marry him around that time. We built a home before we got married. Agreed before we had children that we would find a church. We found a church, and got pregnant.

My husband and I own our own business that is very sucessful (thanks be to God) We are members of the Episcopal church. We are open to life. We are very blessed with three boys also.

That’s my testimony.
 
thank you, DJgang. Some of those things you were saying really brought some memories back. “No you can’t wear red finger nail polish”, “you need to wear baggy clothes”, “no one else will ever want you”, etc, etc.
Thank GOD we both got away from “boys” like that.
Thanks for sharing. 😃
 
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