One Guy’s True Story
THIS TESTIMONY IS FROM FRED, A MEMBER OF STREET LEVEL MINISTRIES ON CEBU ISLAND, PHILIPPINES
“Long ago and far away in a different ageWhen I was a dumb young guyFossilized photos of my life thenIllustrate what an easy prey I must have been.”
I remember my father always playing the song “Dinosaur” by King Crimson every morning to wake me up. I was three years old and couldn’t understand the song’s meaning, but the lyrics stayed in my head as years passed. Music is always part of my daily routine. I can’t imagine myself living in the world without it, from the noise of the birds and the loudness of the streets to the peaceful province and the busy city.
The Bible was just another storybook for me growing up. Though my parents didn’t read it, they raised me to choose my own beliefs and let me learn about other religions. I remember being in awe and curious about how powerful all these different gods could be, but it caused me to be full of doubts and questions.
“Jesus saves you!” That sentence did not make sense to me until I became a college student. I had been reading, studying, and watching documentaries about the Bible for years. I had even attended a school that taught it, but I never understood its application to real life because no one could satisfy how all the other religions fit in. They all claimed to be truthful and righteous, and it caused me so many doubts that I decided to forget about Christianity. However, I was restless because Jesus was still working on me. He was slowly waking up the sleeping soul inside me.
They all claimed to be truthful and righteous, and it caused me so many doubts that I decided to forget about Christianity. However, I was restless because Jesus was still working on me.
Two years ago, during the pandemic, my journey of walking toward Jesus began. One of my old elementary classmates messaged that Street Level Ministries Cebu wanted to meet up with me. I was nervous because I didn’t know what would happen, but it turned into the beginning of my connection with real Christians doing life together, which was exactly what I had always been itching for. It was light and easy accepting God’s promises for the first time, but then the challenges came. I was asked to facilitate the ministry meeting in Toledo City, Philippines, and I had to grapple with the fear of failing and disappointing everyone I was working with. I put really high standards on myself, but God calmed me down and reminded me that He walked the humble road first, and I could do the same. It was challenging and tough, but I had joy in my heart whenever I got to share my experiences of how great He is with others at the meetings.
I still get tempted, and there are times when I cry because of it. Sometimes I kneel and let my tears flow because I feel crushed and discouraged. Plenty of times, I’ve wanted to quit and walk away, but He keeps pulling me back again and again. In those moments I feel so vulnerable, but they are also when I feel Him most.
A pastor once said, “Be grateful and celebrate that you encounter problems because, in those times, you will also encounter the blessings and power of God.” That’s something I hang onto all the time, and I can now say that “Jesus saved me” because I am growing and learning even when troubles come. Whenever I look in the mirror, I know that what I see is a better man. That old self has been crucified because He died for that old me.
-Fred