The Bigger Picture

 Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

For the longest time, I looked at testimonies as one major life-changing event, and every now and then there would be another event that contributed to the formation of my relationship with God. In a way that is true, but it's also more than that because it is always about the bigger picture. Testimonies are about small moments and big events. I cannot look back at one event and say this is why I’m here and why my relationship with God is the way it is, but I can look at my entire 19 years and 10 months of life and see how God has connected everything to this point where I sit in the nursery at Grace UMC and know God’s unchanging love for me. 

I moved to Louisiana when I was seven years old. I never really had a home church until the Wesley Foundation at ULM became my home. My family was there almost every day, and all the college students were like older siblings to me. I could see the plan God laid out for us unfold as the Wesley and my family grew. The foundation of my faith is rooted in that building by the bayou. My relationship with God grew like a tree.

Another defining moment for my faith was the yearly Mexico trip I went on between 4th and 8th grade. It was a week every December where a group of us from the Wesley would go to Acuna, Mexico and build a house in three days. It was always an incredible experience. It is hard to explain, but I know that my life was changed every year in those three days. During one of these trips, I realized God was calling me to missions. He began planting seeds that would foster my desire to help build homes for others and eventually lead me to major in Architecture in college.

College has been new and exciting. God has led me to people that have helped me grow and have challenged me to dive deeper into my faith with Him. A community who is there without hesitation. In the spring of my freshman year, my grandfather died. It wasn't unexpected. During that time I was in constant prayer, leaning on God, and asking Him for comfort. Every time I felt like He was telling me it was okay to cry, knowing that I wanted and needed to grieve, a part of me always held me back saying I needed to be strong for my family. So it took a while to grieve and it wasn't until one night during worship at the Wesley Foundation at Louisiana Tech where we sang the song we sang at my grandfather's service that I did. And that was it. I felt God enwrap me and hold me as I finally mourned and cried every tear I had held back for so long. God was there to comfort me and grieve with me in that loss and this was the moment where His love was made even more apparent to me.

Because I know His love I can write my bigger picture testimony of life. I came into college seeking a campus ministry to become involved with and just as the ULM Wesley is home the Tech Wesley has become my new home since coming to Ruston. I found a community that welcomes and loves everyone they meet. The Wesley Foundation is a community that helps people grow and deepens their relationship with God. 

Over this past year, my family experienced some changes that led me to see that I needed to seek a community, and thankfully I was blessed enough to see that I needed to become part of this Christian community. God also knew I needed this community for my relationship with Him to grow deeper and for me to feel His comfort and love more completely. We all have stories, and it is never just about that one moment or event, but rather how all those events add up in order for God to show us His bigger picture. 

Emery Johnson is a sophomore at Louisiana Tech University. She is currently majoring in Architecture. Emery has a beautiful soul and brings joy every she goes. She carries the light of Jesus beautifully and she is a cherished member of the Wesley community.