From the July-September 2007 Issue
A special book
Daniel and Maria Calado
Sónia’s testimony
My life was about to change…and I didn’t know how deeply. One day, someone offered me a book. A special book, and from a special person too. It was a surprise, but also a certainty that something good was about to happen. I was excited but, at the same time, I didn’t know exactly where to start, what to do, how to react…to something I had already experienced, but in a different way.
There was the will and also a little fear. Fear of going back into a place where my one self had drifted apart before. It wasn’t really fear, maybe my faith was not enough at that time. It really wasn’t.
I was a lost sheep. However, the Shepherd went looking for me. It took some time, but He found me. And He found me not to lose me again, because it was in my weakness that He was closer. He gave me strength, He guided me – He became everything to me.
Who could have told before that this book would become The Book? No one. In spite of people sharing their experiences with me, I had to discover it myself. This was my path, my search. I still remember the first moments with The Book. I started in the first pages, reading the introduction of something that, along with other relevant factors, would change my life. Then I read the messages in it; every single one of them with an intimate connection and vision. Each of them – some more than others – gave me courage to go on, pushing me on in my daily life.
I must say it is not always easy, but I guess this is something that happens to all Christians. At some moments, in different stages, perhaps, one doesn’t feel prepared to deal with everything at the same time. Sometimes it seems we forget that God doesn’t want to be an obligation, a burden to us. He deserves our devotion, which is completely different. He deserves that we set apart time from our daily affairs to praise Him, and in doing so, we give and receive more and more. We must be more open to His voice, because of our selfishness. We often think we are too busy, with lots of things to deal with; too many occupations which don’t leave us time for ‘anything else’. In fact, in many situations, we don’t remember that the Lord is always there, so we should always be here for Him too. I try, every day, to be close to Him in every way. I want to sense Him in my life, whether He gives signs of His presence or not. Of course, I feel happy when I can ‘see’ a sign, but I try not to base my faith on that.
‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:105). This is what I can count on – His word. This is what I know the Lord can do for me with His Word. That’s how this Book is changing my life, to a point where I never thought it could be possible, in a continuous way and for an eternal life. Thank You Lord!
‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4).