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!
