“I remember to breathe, to focus on the truth of Jesus Christ.”
– Emma Shows, SIRES Academy School Counselor, LYDIA, Inc.
Emma was raised by Christian missionaries and evangelists but she shares that in adulthood, “My life was spent in selfish pursuits of my own feelings and personal gain. I wasn’t a bad person, but I wasn’t necessarily good, either. My actions and attitude reflected an emptiness, a longing and desire for more.”
Life’s Struggles
Emma reveals, “As a child, I said the prayer of salvation, but it wasn’t until I was living as a single mother in my late 20s, facing undue stress, that I realized God wanted me. I was married, had a baby, and divorced.” She then became pregnant out of wedlock. “I was bitter, angry, being told that I didn’t deserve anything – that my faith was misplaced.” She admits, “I kept waiting for God to send His judgment upon me, to deny my children what they needed. But it never happened.”
Emma has experienced numerous hardships in her life, something that most of us can relate to in one form or another. Emma needed to pay bills. She filed her taxes and used her tax refund to pay utilities for a year. She needed groceries. Because of her daughter’s medical condition, Emma qualified for welfare.
Eking out a living was hard enough but “It seemed that my family wanted to attack me on every side, trying to have my kids taken away because I didn’t conform to their idea of what I should do or what we should look like,” confides Emma. She kept expecting bad things to happen. She found herself often on her knees, crying, praying, and asking what God wanted of her.
Meeting God
She met God on Pascha (Orthodox Easter Sunday) in 2014. Emma explains, “As an Orthodox Christian, we come to know God every Pascha. Easter is a festival and holiday that celebrates the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. God became real to her — “the real God, not some distant, judgmental being waiting to strike me down with lightning.” Emma has found joy in following Christ. “He has been and is the truth. As we prepare for a new Pascha, I cannot wait to see what He will do.” Her life has been transformed because of Jesus Christ.
Emma says, “My children are happy, healthy, knowledgeable, personable, friendly, and stable. I am no longer at risk of dying due to stress.” She is overjoyed with her relationship with Christ. She is spiritually growing and changing. Emma adds, “I am more empathetic and compassionate. I am more honest.”
She has made healthier choices for herself and her children. Emma has a church home and family. She says, “We are truly brothers and sisters in Christ. All because I met God.”
On Easter Sunday, we are reminded that Jesus sacrificed Himself for our sins. God has always been there for you. You don’t have to be perfect. All He asks of you is to follow Him. Now it’s your turn to seek Him earnestly with all your heart. Jesus Christ is Risen! Indeed He has risen!
