Isang Pasasalamat sa Diyos na may Gawa ng Lahat

Unang araw ng Hunyo ay certified MYAF na ako

Dahil dumating na ang pagiging biente-kwatro

Naalala ko pa ng pumasok sa edad na labing pito

Yun ata ay buwan ng Pebrero

Hindi akalaing mananatili ng ganito

Sa piling ng mga kabataang naging parte ng buhay ko

Nang maging parte ng kabataang Metodista

Ako ay labis na natuwa

Dahil hindi ko inakala na ito na pala ang simula

Ng mga karanasang mula sa Diyos na mapagpala

Bagamat noong una’y talagang nanibago

Sa mga kabataang labis ang “passion” sa I’yo

Nagpapasalamat sa kanila sa  ipinakitang pasensiya

Sa mga salitang binitiwan mula sa matalim kong dila

Higit sa lahat sa Diyos na Siyang nagbago ng puso at paniniwala ko

Dito,kasama ang kabataan nagkaroon din ako ng iba’t-ibang karanasan

Mag-aral ng Kanyang salita, kumanta at magtawanan

Mga Bible study ay inaabangan

Kahit pagdating ng evaluation ay bagsak naman J

Ngunit lahat ng natutunan dito’y di makakalimutan

Maituturing na tunay na kayamanan

Nagpapasalamat sa Diyos na puno ng kabanalan

Dahil dinala Nya ako sa grupo na mahal ang Kanyang katotohanan

Kaya nagkaroon ng masayang samahan

Bagamat may mga pagsubok na dinaanan

Lubos lubos pa rin naman ang naging kaligayahan

Sapagkat si Kristo ang pinanghahawakan

Ang karanasang mula sa aking kabataan

Ay maituturing na bonus lang naman

Kumpara sa pagkakakilala ko sa Diyos na makapangyarihan

Siya lang naman ang tunay na dahilan

Kung bakit patuloy ko Siyang pinapupurihan

Ako’y nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng Iyong biyaya

Sa bigay mong SCC-UMYF na pangalawa kong pamilya

Upang lumago ako sa pananampalataya

Lahat ng ito’y mula sa Iyo aking Diyos na dakila

Ang totoo’y halo-halo ang nararamdaman

Dahil naiisip na graduate na ako sa kabataan 

Ngunit nangingibabaw pa rin ang kasiyahan

Dahil ipinakita Mo sa akin ang Iyong katapatan

Nakita na sino ba ako para Iyong bigyan

Ng pagkakataong lumago bagamat makasalanan

Ang lahat ng papuri ay sa Iyo lamang iniaalay

Sapagkat ang Iyong katapatan ay walang kapantay

Ang kadakilaan ng Diyos ko at Hari, aking ihahayag

Di ko titigilan magpakailanman ang magpasalamat

Aking pupurihi't pasasalamatan siya araw-araw

Di ako titigil ng pasasalamat magpakailanman.

Dakila si Yahweh, at karapat-dapat na siya'y purihin;

Ang kadakilaan niya ay mahirap nating unawain.

    -Awit 145:1-3

My Conversion Testimony

In telling how GOD saved me, let me first give some background of my life before that life changing moment.

I am Marygrace S. Caranto and I grew up as a Roman Catholic but just followed what I usually heard and taught by the people around me especially those people older than me about God. Though I was raised as a Roman catholic, I am not a worshipper or even a church-goer before. I usually attend the church just during my birthdays or if I just want to lessen my sins knowing that attending a Sunday mass can wash my sins. I am a happy-go-lucky girl searching and mingling for a lot of friends in this world. I gave my whole heart in delighting myself with jamming with friends, gambling and other things that can satisfy my longings. I am a woman full of rude, unpleasant talk, heart and actions. After graduating high school, because I don’t have enough knowledge and plan where to enroll college, relying on the career guidance of my school, I am encouraged to enroll at SCCO (San Carlos Christian College of the Orient). I don’t have any idea that time that SCCO is a religious (born-again) school so when I entered the school I was shocked when they conducted a chapel service every Wednesday. It was an awkward moment that there are people worshipping and praising God even inside the school. So during that time, whenever they require us to attend the service, I usually hide myself and escape for it feels me uncomfortable and considering it as unnecessary in my course. 

It was while at college that I met Sir Bernard Rosario, one of my college instructors who invited me to attend a bible study in their church (United Methodist Church). When I went there I am amazed that there are group of young people enjoying studying the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse. They call it “New Testament Survey”. I am curios that day on that why is it instead of watching ASAP , (a variety show) every Sunday, they are passionately consuming their time just to study God’s word? What is in them that I don’t have? What inspires them to do that? As week goes by I enjoyed their company and used to join the Bible study every Sunday. Staying with them is an odd thing for me. From worldly activities that I used to do before now I am joining with those “godly people”. But staying there lets me get to know GOD better through His word. They also shared to me their faith in God and told me of his love and how He sent his Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and shed his blood and rise from the dead. I also challenged to read the Bible when I became a UMYF in that church. After days and nights of reading the Gospels, He has shown Himself to me. God opened my eyes that Jesus is the only way for me to be saved. He is the only way of salvation that I can do nothing to save myself, not even going in the mass every Sunday, not even being a good girl or doing good works. From there, I ask God to forgive all my sins and to come into my life and accept Him as my Lord and Savior. Indeed I felt a wonderful peace! Though I don’t deserve anything from the Lord even His love still He gave it to me freely. He sent His Son Jesus Christ no matter how great I am as a sinner. He also showed me that no matter how much I worked on to save myself what a blessing to realize that it was not by any good works but by His grace alone through faith in the Lord Jesus that I could be saved! As the Hymn says,

“Nothing in my hands I bring

Simply to the cross I cling.”

With a new life with Christ as my Lord and Savior, He has given me purpose, satisfaction and joy. He remains faithful as he continues to transform me to be like him. I can’t imagined that from a “happy-go-lucky-girl”, searching joy in this world will be called a child of God, a “GOD-girl” who delights fully in the Lord and His word. He also blessed me with faithful brothers and sisters, the SCC-UMYF whom I loved and appreciated most every time we have fellowship with each other. I know it was God’s providence to be with them having one heart and one passion to know and glorify God.

God is really sovereign for he has given me the privilege to serve Him and have fellowship with Him. I am so grateful that a sinner like me will be loved by an all-powerful, all-knowing GOD. This assurance of salvation He has given me is the great gift that I’d ever had.

Praise and glory be to the LORD!