Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
Matthew 19:14
"I came to know Him early", that is how my story begins. For years I didn't think my testimony was worth sharing because it wasn't filled with a dramatic conversion after a life of whooping it up and sowing my wild oats. I was seven when He called my name and I heard His voice saying "Come, follow me".
I grew up in the church; in fact, I was born during a Vacation Bible School week! My Dad was a minister of music for Baptist churches throughout my entire childhood. There has never been a time in my life when God's word wasn't spoke over and around me. There has never been a time when I did not know about Him. I grew up in a household of faith, and for that, I am immensely grateful. I am grateful for His protection and for the opportunity to experience the transitions of life in the palm of His hand. I am grateful that He called me to Himself at such a young age.
I vividly remember sitting in my room after having a big fight with the neighbor kids and my brother. I was talking to myself and trying to justify my side of the story. And then it hit me. I was wrong and had hurt others by my words and actions. Then all the Sunday School stories started rushing in and I understood. It was the first time it dawned on me that I was a sinner. A still small voice spoke to me in that moment. I asked God to forgive me and to help me live the way He wanted to.
I didn't tell anyone about that experience for over a year. The reason? I was scared of water, so the idea of baptism was terrifying. Until one day when I was almost nine, another child in our church made a profession of faith and was scheduled to be baptized. I figured if she could do it, I could be brave too. Plus, the practical side of me (yes, that was alive and well way back then) thought that it would be easier for the pastor if he only had to fill the baptistery once. My parents had me meet with the pastor to make sure I understood what it all meant. Soon after we met, I entered the baptismal pool and had to swim out to the middle where a milk crate was used as a stepping stool because I was too short to be seen. True story.
After that I was actively involved in the children's ministry at our church. My parents grew our children's program in a small village in New Mexico from two (my brother and I) to a thriving ministry. My dad taught my brother and I how to lead back yard Bible clubs. We would canvas a neighborhood inviting kids to come and pass out balloons. When the other children arrived, my brother would read the Bible story and I helped with the songs and games. I remember holding "tea parties" with my stuffed animals, but instead of tea, we observed the Lord's supper - using Welch's grape juice, of course!
My parents made it a priority for us to attend Christian camps and conferences. I made it a personal goal to read the entire Bible through by age 13 and I did. It was around that age that I wondered if my seven-year-old self really knew how to give my heart to Jesus, so I "recommitted" myself to Christ just in case. As a teen, I was very active in our church's youth ministry. I learned a lot about servant leadership from my amazing youth minister, Byron Malone, who had years before been in a youth group my Dad had led. At age 16, I felt God's calling on my life again. I never knew specifically what He was calling me to, but I felt His pull on my life. At the time I committed my life to ministry, not knowing what that meant, but being willing to follow where He would lead.
My testimony doesn't end there, oh no. But this was my foundation, and I can honestly say that I would not have been able to weather life's storms had it not been for my roots that began to dig down deep when I was just a girl. I think about pine trees, grand, tall, glorious trees reaching high into the sky, but their roots are shallow. When the winds come roaring, you don't want one of them growing near your house because they are prone to uproot and topple over. As opposed to an oak, that started out as a little acorn, which doesn't grow as tall, but its roots grow deep and wide, giving it stability during the storm.
Through the years God has been many things to me and provided for me in specific ways. God is my Father - He teaches me, protects me, He is proud of me. God is my friend - He listens to me, He encourages me, He enjoys seeing me happy and fulfilled. God is my husband - He adores me, He loves me unconditionally, He provides for me. He is my savior, redeemer, healer...He is my Lord. And the beautiful mystery is that although I've known Him all my life, I'm still learning more about His character every day. His love for me has never diminished even when I've drifted away and doubted His faithfulness. He's never gotten bored with me or just tolerated my shenanigans. I'm His girl. I'm special to Him. He has set me apart so I can shine His light.
I came to know Him early
I came to know Him Young,
I came to know His love for me
As my life had just begun.
He put His name upon me
He called me for His own
His purpose for my life is found
In making His great name known
In times of storms and trouble
To Him I firmly cling
He turns my tears to laughter
He causes my heart to sing
I came to know Him early
I say with grateful heart
Because I knew Him early
We've never been apart.
~Marcia Tapp 2016
