07/09/2026
THE TIME HAS COME FOR ME TO SHARE MY STORY.
This is something I used to be ashamed of.
But today, I no longer want to be ashamed of my past.
Because this story is no longer about my failures.
It is about HIS FAITHFULNESS.
Growing up in a SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST home, I thought my spiritual path was already set.
There was a time when going to church made me happy. I loved the songs,spending the Sabbath, and being surrounded by people who loved God.
Faith felt simple.
It felt natural.
But as I grew older, something began to change.
The things that once brought me joy slowly became a routine.
I was still going to church.
I still knew the Bible.
I still knew what was right and wrong.
But knowing about God is not the same as knowing God.
---
And without realizing it,
my heart began to wander.
Not because God changed.
I WAS THE ONE WHO LOST MY CONNECTION WITH HIM.
Then curiosity came.
I LET WORLDY INFLUENCE SHAPE MY LIFE.
I looked at my friends who weren't Adventists and wondered,
"Why can't I do those things?"
"What am I missing?"
So when college came…
I tested the waters.
I started partying.
I drank alcohol.
I skipped the Sabbath.
And for a while…
I THOUGHT I WAS FREE.
But eventually, I realized:
I WASN'T BECOMING MORE FREE.
I WAS BECOMING MORE LOST.
Then graduation came.
And everything I had been avoiding came rushing back.
The regret.
The shame.
The disappointment.
I smiled in front of people…
but inside,
I WAS BROKEN.
I even wondered,
"Can I still come back to God?"
"Would He still accept me?"
But in my brokenness, God reminded me:
HIS GRACE IS BIGGER THAN MY FAILURE.
I may have wandered away from Him…
BUT HE NEVER WANDERED AWAY FROM ME.
When I was running,
He was waiting.
When I was making wrong choices,
He was calling.
When I felt unworthy,
He was reminding me that I was still His child.
So I took the second chance He gave me.
After graduation,
I SURRENDERED MY LIFE BACK TO GOD.
And slowly…
God began to RESTORE me.
He gave me comfort.
He gave me direction.
He opened doors.
He answered prayers.
And most importantly,
HE GAVE ME A PURPOSE AGAIN.
I joined the 1,000 Missionary Movement not because it was originally my plan…
but because it was HIS PLAN.
Today, I am still here.
Not because I am perfect.
Not because I never struggle.
Not because I am strong enough on my own.
I AM HERE BECAUSE JESUS NEVER GAVE UP ON ME.
I still have weaknesses.
I still fall.
But now…
I DON'T HAVE TO WALK ALONE.
Jesus walks with me.
And every time I fall,
He lifts me up.
Every time I fail,
He reminds me that failure is not the end.
Every time I feel unworthy,
He reminds me of His grace.
Because He is always ready to:
ACCEPT.
FORGIVE.
RESTORE.
AND USE ME AGAIN.
So if you feel like you've wandered too far from God…
IT IS NOT TOO LATE.
Your past does not disqualify you.
Your failure is not your identity.
YOUR STORY IS NOT FINISHED.
You may have walked away from God…
BUT GOD NEVER WALKED AWAY FROM YOU.
And before I end, there are people I will always be grateful for.
First, to my family especially to my mother.
Even when I made choices that hurt her,
SHE NEVER STOPPED PRAYING FOR ME.
Ma, thank you for your prayers that never ceased.
And I am also grateful for my circle of friends before.
Honestly,
I WOULDN'T BE THE PERSON I AM TODAY WITHOUT THEM.
God used them as part of my journey and my realization.
And they will always be included in my prayers.
And now, God has also surrounded me with people who help me stay close to Him.
For every prayer,
every encouragement,
every conversation,
and every reminder…
And for that, I always be grateful.
Today, I don't stand before you with a perfect story.
I stand before you as someone who received a SECOND CHANCE.
A second chance to love Jesus.
A second chance to serve.
A second chance to share His truth.
A second chance to live according to His purpose.
And if God can restore me…
HE CAN RESTORE ANYONE WHO IS WILLING TO COME BACK TO HIM.
My prayer is simple:
“Lord, use my story not for my glory, but for Yours.”
Because I am living proof that God's grace can reach us even when we feel farthest away.
And my story is still being written.
All things can become new when we place them in the hands of Jesus.
I used to live for the things that I thought would make me happy. But now, I have learned that true life is found in Christ. I may still have weaknesses.
EVEN WHEN WE FEEL FARTHEST AWAY.
I was once lost.
BUT HE FOUND ME.
I was broken.
BUT HE RESTORED ME.
And today, I no longer want to live according to my own desires.
I want Christ to live in me.
BUHI KO, DILI TUNGOD KAY KUSGAN KO.
BUHI KO KAY SI CRISTO ANG NAGABUHI KANAKO.
“Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”
— Galatians 2:20
CTTO | Source: Donna Dawn Legada
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