From Darkness Unto His Light

HOW HE LOVES ME

2 Chronicles 7:14 14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

My name is Rita Ramsingh. I live at Irois Forest Chatham (Trinidad & Tobago). I was born in the district of Mayaro and lived with my parents, brothers and sisters. I got married in 1969 and came to live with my husband and his family. My husband used to drink and smoke. We had our first baby. Life was going on fine at first until he started coming home drunk almost every day. Life was a great big challenge for me. Pretty soon I also started drinking and smoking. I was smoking more than 40 cigarettes per day. I became really addicted to cigarette. I was hooked on it. I would smoke and drink a cup of black coffee whenever I was worried. I will be worried whenever I thought about my husband coming home drunk. I smoked cigarettes for 31 years.

On the thirteenth of May, 2000, my husband passed away. After his death, I started going to church. The first day I went to church, they were having the communion service. While the pastor was preaching I felt the presence of Jesus. He was so real to me. Right there, at that very moment, I started crying. Right then, I decided that I want to follow Him. Just in a few minutes, I fell in love with a Man I never knew or saw in my entire life. After the service I told the pastor that I wanted to get baptized. That Sabbath, it was raining cats and dogs. There was lots of water all around the church so I told the pastor that there is no reason why I cannot get baptized. He asked me if I was serious. I told him that I could never have been more serious. He then told me that he will have to come to my home so he can teach me what baptism really is and what it is all about.

I continued attending church but I still smoked my cigarettes. The pastor came home and visited me a few times. I was ready to get baptized but the pastor didn’t know that I still smoked my cigarettes. Here I was, still smoking and the date of my baptism was set; September 30, 2000. At this time, all my children were already baptized members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. They got baptized while their father was still alive. But, he never knew they were baptized because we were Hindus. Although we were Hindus, we never did any thing the typical Hindus did. For example we never went to the temple to pray like Hindus are supposed to.

Well this is my testimony. Jesus is alive and is a loving and a caring God. He loves his children no matter the situation. He knows you and He sees you wherever you are. So I was going to church and I had two weeks to prepare for my baptism. My twelve children kept on telling me that I have to stop smoking, because I am going to church and I am going to be baptized soon. On the 27th September, I made up my mind and decided not to smoke again. I did not smoke for that entire day and I went to bed as usual.

The next morning, I could not wake up from my bed. I had pains all over my body. I had a terrible headache and I was feeling very weak and sick. I felt like I was going to die. My children prayed for me but I told them they have to go and get me a pack of cigarettes. When I got it, I finished the entire packet before 10 o’clock that morning; which was the 28th of September. I felt good. There were no more cigarettes left in the pack and I did not want to send my children back to the shop for more. I was very embarrassed so I decided to go to the Lord in prayer. I said, “Lord Jesus you know I love you and I want to give my life to you. I have heard you said ‘come to me as you are’, so Lord I am coming to you as I am; cigarettes and all. You see Lord, I tried to stop on my own but I cannot do it alone. I need your help.” My Jesus really listens to his children no matter what the problem is. Since that day until this present day, I have never touched cigarettes or drank coffee. I was baptized on 30th September, 2000, which was the appointed day. I now belong to the family of God and I am very happy that the Lord has led me to many great places. I have experienced his love and mercy towards me in so many ways.

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Contact: chathamritz@yahoo.com