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High Hills


Personal Testimony


Jesus Christ Saves,Delivers,Heals
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live
I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me,
and gave Himself for me." -Galatians 2:20,NKJV

Cross My name is Aaron Sharp. I am a thirty year old resident of Odessa, Texas. I work in retail sales, and I am currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with a desire to enter the Christian counseling field. What follows is the story of how Jesus Christ rescued me from a life of pain and self-destruction and brought me to His wonderful salvation.

I was born in San Antonio, Texas, at Lackland Air Force Base. My father was serving his country in Southeast Asia when I came into this world. Shortly after he returned home and left the service, my family moved to West Texas, where I have lived most of my life. I was one of those children who was truly "raised right." Both of my parents, as well as my grandparents, were Christians, and I spent most of my Sunday morinings growing up in loving, Christ-centered churches.

My Dad had a very demanding job: he was the director of the Permian Playhouse, the community theater here in Odessa. Rehearsals, fund-raising, and public appearances often commanded much of his time. Over the years, this difficult schedule became the foundation of deep conflict between my parents-conflict that ultimately, because of choices they both made, led them to divorce. My parents had chosen to shelter me from the difficulties that they were having, so when their seperation came, a few months prior to my eleventh birthday, I was very surprised and hurt.

The following years brought many changes. My mother remarried and I moved with her and her second husband to Colorado, and then to Arizona a year later. My relationship with my stepfather was very rocky. Much of the difficulties stemmed from resentment and bitterness on my part. At age thirteen, with the conflicts between he and I growing worse and worse, I chose to return to Odessa to live with my father. I developed an attitude of independence and distrust during this time, and as I grew into my teenage years I became increasingly rebellious and unwilling to rely on anyone else. Even after my mother's second marriage dissolved, and she returned to Odessa, I was very emotionally distant from her. As I grew older, my behavior grew worse, and I became a great source of worry to my family. I was an emotional burden for both of my parents.

Everybody Needs Jesus As the time neared for me to graduate from high school, I began searching for a college to attend. In all honesty, I was more interested in leaving Odessa and going to the "big city" than I was in getting an education. By the time I graduated I had settled on Tulane University in New Orleans. I moved to New Orleans with a crazed desire for "personal freedom" and no relationship with God. In one short semester, I bombed out of school. But, I remained in New Orleans, working at a variety of jobs. It wasn't long until I found myself developing a regular drinking habit and experimenting with illicit drugs. I lived in New Orleans for four years, and as time passed, my situation became worse. I yearned for some kind of meaning in my life, and tried everything that I could get my hands on to fill the void inside. I spent years studying world religions and New Age philosphies, hoping to find something that would provide me peace. Nothing ever did.

Jesus reached out to me in the midst of some very painful circumstances. While I was still in high school, my father had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a deadly form of cancer. Prior to my departure for New Orleans, he had undergone two surgeries and an experimental immunization therapy, and was thought to have been completely free of cancer. In 1992, during my third year in New Orleans, his cancer returned with a vengeance, having invaded several vital areas of his body. I visited Dad while he underwent intensive chemotherapy treatments in Houston, and I'm thankful that our then distant relationship began to heal during that time. Unfortunately, the treatment proved unable to arrest the growth of the cancer, and after several fruitless months, Dad was released to return home.

John 3:16 I was able to be with Dad in his last days, and assist my stepmother, a wonderful Christian lady named Barbara, in caring for him. It was during this time that Jesus spoke to me so clearly through the example of my Dad. For me, at that time, death was something to be feared, since I was uncertain about what waited on the other side. My father, who was secure in his relationship with Jesus, wasn't afraid at all, only concerned about the welfare of his family in his absence. His peaceful spirit spoke volumes to me, and forced me to examine what I believed. One night while I was staying there, I found myself paging through a Bible my grandparents had given me as a teenager. As I read, I suddenly knew with certainty that I was lost, and that I needed to ask Jesus to be my Savior. Sadly, I didn't ask. Thankfully God is a God of not just one chance, but many. My father passed away in the early summer of 1993. I miss him very much, but I am thankful to know that he is a place of complete joy, free from sorrow and pain. He gave me so much during his life, but one of the greatest gifts that he gave me was his witness.

I returned to New Orleans after my father's affairs were settled, but I carried with me many questions. My last year there was very stormy, and through a variety of difficulty circumstances, I learned that many of the friendships that I had made there were only relationships of convenience. Within several months, I found myself literally alone in that vast city, with no one to turn to, save for my family. My mother, who had recently gotten free of her own drinking problem, and her husband Wayland, brought me back to Odessa to live with them and start anew.

Forgiven! I spent several months in Odessa feeling purposeless and displaced. Finally, I decided that I needed to get involved with the New Age once more by hooking up with the local Unitarian fellowship here. The Sunday morning that I planned to attend services there, my mother decided that she wanted to come with me. I was uncomfortable with the idea of taking her to a Unitarian service, so I chose to go to one of the local Baptist churches instead. That morning, the pastor of the church in question preached on the things that people place before God. God spoke to me again, and I knew that I had tried everything except the one thing I really needed: Jesus Christ. The following day, I prayed to receive Christ as my personal Savior. I have never been the same.

In the years since, God has done so much for me. He has provided me the opportunity to return to college and complete my education. He has given me the greatest friendships that I have ever had in my life, with godly people who care for and value me. He has given me a wonderful church home and several places in which to serve Him. I am a member of my church's drama team Reflections, which ministers to people in the church, and outside of it using puppets, dramatic skits, and interpretive movement. I am also involved in our church's singles ministry. God has also worked miracles in the life of my family-freeing each of us from bondages to destructive habits and unifying us in love. It has all come from His loving hand. Without Him, I would truly be nothing.

If you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, let me urge you to receive Him as your personal Savior. Jesus can give your life meaning, hope, and the assurance that you are truly loved. I can promise you, receiving Jesus is a decision that you will never regret. In Luke 19:10, the Bible tells us that Jesus came "...to seek and to save that which was lost." He came to find the broken souls of the world, and give them life. He is constantly reaching out to us in love. We need only to trust Him. If you haven't, I sincerely pray that you will.


The Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord Last update: 12/3/00
Comments and feedback? Send e-mail to: habakkuk319@hockeymail.com.

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