26/06/2026
When I first attended the Bible study, I felt a sense of relief. But as we continued, I began to feel a deep ache in my heart, as if something were piercing through me. In that season, I realized God is near. โMay Diyos pala.โ
Every lesson felt like therapy. I cried often, yet felt relieved as I learned more about God's things I thought I already knew. No matter how tired I was, I kept attending until our small group leader encouraged and sponsored me to attend a True-Life retreat.
During that retreat, I finally understood the Gospel. I wept as the weight of my sin became clear to me. What struck me most was the memory of the darkest moment of my life when I almost took the life of my precious daughter. And even more painfully, I realized that in my heart, I had already done it as Jesus said:
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, โYou shall not murder...โ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." Matthew 5:21-22
Tears poured out as I faced the fullness of my sin. I saw myself for who I truly was: a liar, a disobedient daughter, a fornicator, an idolater, and a murderer. In such a short span of my life, I had broken all the Ten Commandments, and my sin had only continued to grow.
And yet, now, I am free. Christ fully paid for my sins yesterday, tomorrow, and today, season, and because of that, I am His.
After two days, I was baptized, and my spiritual life began to grow as I continued seeking God and reading the Bible.
From loving myself to loving God.
From loving myself to loving others.
From seeking the approval of men to seeking the approval of God.
From depending on myself to depending on God.
We still struggle in life, but He will always be with us. He never fails to remind me of that.
โ Sharmaine Alexis Saraspi
