Welcome to part 1 of the “My Journey with the Lord” series
A New Birth Day
This past August marked a milestone for me, my 10-year anniversary of following Jesus. Our culture loves birthdays, but my favorite celebration is my “new birth day.” In the Lord, I’m about to turn 10 years old, and honestly, I love that.
Ten years may sound short, but it has been a lifetime of adventure, purpose, and joy, mixed with plenty of challenges, unknowns, and seasons that stretched me. Through it all, one thing has been constant: I’ve been walking with Jesus, learning to follow Him to the ends of the earth.
But before the adventures, before the travels, before the ministry… there was that first year.
Radically Saved at Sixteen
I was 16 when Jesus radically saved me. Three months later, I was baptized, and my life changed so dramatically that my teachers, classmates, and old friends barely recognized me. The way I spoke, the way I dressed, the things I posted, and most of all, my unshakable obsession with talking about my new relationship with Christ.
That final year of high school was a whirlwind:
- Reading my Bible for the first time
- Experiencing spiritual warfare
- Trying to comprehend who God really is
It was just me and Jesus. That’s all I wanted. That’s all I needed.
A Summer That Changed Everything
The following summer, the flame was still burning strong, stronger, even. I was attending the Christian camp I’d been going to for years, and Thursdays were always “Missionary Day,” when visiting missionaries shared their stories.
In the past, I found it… well, boring. My teenage self would be half-asleep in the pew or having side conversations with friends. But that year, everything was different.
One Thursday in 2016, a woman began sharing her experiences serving the Lord in China. She taught art and shared the Gospel through creativity, something I had never imagined before. I don’t remember all her words, but I remember her challenge:
“Ask the Lord right now if He is calling you to serve Him to the ends of the Earth.”
Before I knew it, my 17-year-old self was on my feet. My heart pounded. It was the most foolish yet most certain thing I had ever done. The clarity in that moment was as strong as the night Jesus called me to be His own. I knew it: God was calling me to the nations.
From Knowing Jesus to Following Him Anywhere
10 years ago I started following Christ and 9 years ago I said “yes” to following Him to the ends of the earth.
My faith shifted from just “me time with Jesus” to a deep conviction that my life was meant to serve Him fully, for the rest of my days. That foundation of intimacy with Him was (and still is) the starting place for everything.
It was my second “light switch” moment. I was alive to follow Him, to share His love with as many people as possible, in Michigan, in America, and in every nation, tribe, or language He would lead me to.
Looking Ahead
That first year with Jesus changed me forever. But the story didn’t stop there, it was just the beginning. In Part 2, I’ll share how that calling to the nations unfolded: from Mexico to Chicago to the Bible lands, and eventually to meeting my husband in Greece.
Because when God calls you… He means it. And the journey is always greater than you expect.
In Christ,
Cosette Bredeweg
