10 FAITH IN ACTION
I gained the greatest
RELATIONSHIP
POSSIBLE
Jessica White
“I
was full of hurt and anger from a
broken marriage, and the loss of
my father meant that I had lost
two of the most important men in my life.
I felt lonely and I tried to fill the emptiness
I had inside with alcohol and food. My
lowest point was looking at a reflection
of myself in the window of the tram and
seeing how sad and unkempt I looked.
A work colleague invited me to the
church and the first time I stepped
inside, I felt as if I had returned home.
The people were very friendly and
supportive. I listened to all the messages
in the services and acted on what was
being taught. However, it took a long
time for me to let go of my past. I first
had to forgive myself because I blamed
myself for what I had been through, and
then I had to forgive my ex-husband
and leave the past behind. It was the
messages that helped me understand
that the Holy Spirit comes inside of us
to be our helper. I knew that He would
guide and comfort me, so a great desire
to receive the Holy Spirit grew inside me.
I took part in the 21-day Fast of Daniel
for me to receive the Holy Spirit, but I
was not doing it properly. An assistant
pastor spoke to me and challenged me
to keep going for one more week. He
said that if I did my best, I would receive
the Holy Spirit. I cut off all media and
fasted every day from midnight to
midday. I prayed more, sought the
Holy Spirit more and took the time
during my lunch break at work to seek
Him every day. I also read my Bible
more, and attended every service
during that week, where I received
guidance and positive messages. I
also listened to the radio programme
every evening. One of my biggest
struggles was fasting. I was working,
which made it even more difficult, as
my role involved speaking to people
on the phone. But I didn’t let that stop
me! I was determined that this was
my time to receive the Holy Spirit
and that I would give my best. When
I received the Holy Spirit, I had the
assurance that God was with me and
that I could do anything. I was smiling
and full of joy.
I had always felt that I was ‘never
good enough’, which seemed to be
confirmed to me when my husband
had left me for someone else. But now I
knew that I was good enough, as I had
the Holy Spirit. My life started to move
forward from this point.
L E A R N T O L O V E I N T E L L I G E N T LY
L