Jesus Christ Was the Answer to My Quest for Happiness and Security
My name is Mary Ann Farro, and this is my story.
I was not raised in a Christian home, but I knew a little about Jesus Christ through a church where I attended Sunday School classes.
At age fifteen, I was pregnant and married. I had a son that year, and at age nineteen I had another baby, this time a daughter. My marriage was unstable at best, and we were together off and on. I filed for a divorce, but continually searched for a relationship that would make me feel happy and secure.
At age fifteen, I was pregnant and married. I had a son that year, and at age nineteen I had another baby, this time a daughter. My marriage was unstable at best, and we were together off and on. I filed for a divorce, but continually searched for a relationship that would make me feel happy and secure.
I tried drugs, alcohol, sex, and relationships, trying to find fulfillment and to fill the void in my life. At the age of thirty-seven, after another failed relationship, I was very scared and very alone. I had no one to relate to and was very depressed and confused about my life. I did not know where I was heading. Even though my life was a mess, I was searching for the truth. I knew there had to be something better to life than what I had.
“Even though my life was a mess, I was searching for the truth.”
There was a real emptiness in my life. I knew the lifestyle I was living was not right, and was condemned by God, but I did not know where to turn.
I moved in with my brother and his wife to try to get myself on my feet again. At the time I had a girlfriend who knew how I felt and more importantly knew that I needed the Lord in my life. She talked to me about the Lord and my need of salvation. She also gave me a present, a book entitled The Source of My Strength. This was a book on the life-changing power of Jesus Christ and was full of Scriptures from the Word of God. As I read the book, I saw for the first time what God had to say about my life. I was a sinner! It was my sin that put Jesus Christ on the cross.
I moved in with my brother and his wife to try to get myself on my feet again. At the time I had a girlfriend who knew how I felt and more importantly knew that I needed the Lord in my life. She talked to me about the Lord and my need of salvation. She also gave me a present, a book entitled The Source of My Strength. This was a book on the life-changing power of Jesus Christ and was full of Scriptures from the Word of God. As I read the book, I saw for the first time what God had to say about my life. I was a sinner! It was my sin that put Jesus Christ on the cross.
“I also learned that even though God knew all about my sinful life, He still loved me.”
I also learned that even though God knew all about my sinful life, He still loved me. He had died for me and paid for my sin. I knew that if I turned to Him, I would have to give up my sinful lifestyle. But I was more than willing to do that. I was sick of the way I was. I had made a mess of my life and knew that I needed Christ in my life. I realized that only Jesus Christ could change my life.
One night in December of 1994, I repented of my sin and asked the Lord to forgive me of my sin and to take charge of my life. I knew I needed Christ in control of my life because everything I had tried to do myself had failed. I did not trust myself with my life anymore, so I gave it all to Him. He was the only One who could make things right.
After that night my life began to change. I had a real peace in my heart. I got a job and an apartment, but there was still something missing. I felt I wanted to be with people who knew God like I did. I wanted to go to church but I wanted to go to the right one. I knew there were a lot of churches out there that were not right. I began to pray that God would put me in the right church so that I could grow stronger in Him. He directed me to the Lehigh Valley Baptist Church.
After that night my life began to change. I had a real peace in my heart. I got a job and an apartment, but there was still something missing. I felt I wanted to be with people who knew God like I did. I wanted to go to church but I wanted to go to the right one. I knew there were a lot of churches out there that were not right. I began to pray that God would put me in the right church so that I could grow stronger in Him. He directed me to the Lehigh Valley Baptist Church.