Thank you so much for showing interest in my personal testimony!
I was born into a loving Christian family. I love my parents and my brother with all of my heart. However, I was also born with a very rare skin disease known as Congenital Giant Nevus. It pretty much means I have large moles all voer my body. It doesn't spread, or hurt, or anything. It's just like being born with a birthmark. Even though I'm lucky enough to be healthy, it still has had a toll on my life.
It causes me to look considerably different than other people, which may sound harmless. It would be harmless, if our society was perfect and all knowing. But, there are people who have never seen anyone like me, and my appearance causes them to stare or even avoid me. It also provides a way for people to easily make fun of me if they are ever in need of self esteem. So, for a long time when I looked in the mirror at myself, I felt absolutely disguistingly ugly! That lasted until I was in 8th grade.
At this point in my life I was crying myself to sleep alot and even though I was a Christian and I told people about God, I never thought he could help me. Finally, one night I was especially down on myself and I just broke down, got on my knees, and prayed for God to help me. I asked him to take away my pain, stop my vainity, and help me help people who have low self esteem. After a week or so, I began to feel like I didn't care what people thought of how I looked. I also began feeling like I was beautiful because god made me. Then, this summer when I went to an FCA volleyball camp, a girl in a group of mine had very low self esteem about her appearance and I really wanted to talk to her, but I didn't know how to. So, I prayed tat God might provide me with an opportunity. On the last night of camp she came to me asking why I had these spots all over me and I took that opportunity and ran with it. When I told her what it is, she asked what it was like living with my "disease." I told her it was hard, but it was a blessing. It had given me strength and understanding. It humbled me, and reminded me that Jesus was also ridiculed on earth. I told her I was actually happy to look like this and that God was awesome to give me my life. She was blown away. Finally she told me she hadn't known that God could really have that much of an impact on her life. So, that night I prayed with her and she accepted Jesus into her life.
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