Testimony of Michelle Solomon
Good morning everyone, for anyone that doesn’t know me my name is Michelle Solomon.
Up until the time I was in the fourth grade, which I would have been around ten, my family’s religion was Roman Catholicism. We used this more as a traditional title than our actual life choice. What I mean by that is that we only attended church on the Holidays, mostly Christmas Eve mass and Easter Sunday. My two sisters, brother, and I were all baptized as babies and made our first communion. Unfortunately our “religion” didn’t really affect our daily life choices and as a result our family fell a part.
Probably the biggest contributing factor to our family life unraveling was my mother’s alcoholism that had gotten out of control. After years of my dad trying to get her help along with having us attend AA support groups, never mind all of the turmoil, my mom just couldn’t stop. My dad finally had to remove her from our house in order to try and regain some peace in our daily lives. Even though my mom wasn’t living with us anymore he still continued to attend the Alanon meetings, which were for the spouse of the alcoholic. God used this to show Himself to my dad. He realized that after two failed marriages and a lot of pain and suffering from his poor choices that he needed God in his life. A big part of the AA program was “Let go and let God, by living your life one day at a time.” Sadly today they have a much more “politically correct” approach and they refer to God as one’s higher power. Regardless of my dads convictions I was still young and did not understand his choice to follow Christ. He went out and bought a Bible, started to read it, was convicted of his sin and ultimately gave his life to Christ.
I wish I could say the same thing for my siblings and me, but instead we thought he was having a mental breakdown. My dad started to put his family’s life back together, but this time with Gods help. For a little while my siblings and I began to follow along. We regularly attended church where we heard the clear message of Christ. Much to my dad’s dismay, my two older sisters moved out of our house shortly after my dads conversion due to too many rules. My brother and I were the youngest so we continued to be obedient.
When I was about 12, after going to church for a while, I first realized I was a sinner, I asked God for forgiveness, accepted Him into my life, and was baptized.
A couple years later when I was in middle school my heart began to harden toward my dad and ultimately Christ. I began to have a rebellious spirit, I felt like I was losing out on friends and having fun. Eventually I ran away and started to “live my life,” even though it meant hurting my dad, abandoning my brother, and disappointing God.
I’m sure most of you can figure out how that worked out for me. Yup!!! After acquiring a bad reputation, being embarrassed, experiencing sadness, and pain, along with a terrible loneliness. I realized that maybe this wasn’t the way to go, and it wasn’t anything like I thought it would be. By this time I was about seventeen, I first tried to satisfy my loneliness by making amends with my dad, not to mention my guilty conscience was convicting me. My life started to get better; I made smarter choices, met my husband and began to put God back into my life. I was even able to have somewhat of a relationship with my mother, even though alcoholism was still controlling her life. About a year after I was married, which puts me at 21, my mother’s disease took her life. It was at this point that I realized how fragile life really is, I dwelt on the thought that while there is life there is hope and I was pretty certain that there was no hope left for my mom. During this moment of realization is when I knew I needed to recommit my life to Christ. I promised God I would start really living for him.
Unfortunately that did not last very long. I got a little distracted with my husband, two children, a house, my job, and once again I put God in the back seat, and we all know how that goes…. NOT GOOD!!! Because of my choice to make everything else more important than Him I ended up being in Christ’s consequential will not His desired will for my life. When I was faced with losing it all, He brought me to my knees and I realized once again it could only be me leaning on Him. The devil is a roaring lion seeking to devour, and he knows just how to distract us. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
I had forgotten all about putting God’s armor on daily. Ephesians 6:10-18 – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints
While recently being discipled, I was reminded of the fundamental part of Christianity, which we all tend to forget. That is, to not only keep God in your life, but keep Him on the throne of your life. I am learning to do that by remembering the advice an evangelist gave me once of keeping Daniel’s 3,3,3 rule who was greatly beloved by the Lord. Praying three times a day, reading God’s word three times a day, and putting three good Christian friends around me, for support and to help keep me accountable. Even if I can only accomplish the 1,1,1 rule, I know I will be in good shape. I endeavor to serve the Lord with my whole heart, mind and soul. Luke 10:27 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind” A verse that always has encouraged me is Romans 8:28, which states: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
I often reflect on the legacy that my dad has left for me; that once he was saved, no matter how difficult life became his faith in Christ never faltered. He stood his ground and wasn’t willing to lower God’s standards not even for me. I hope that I will leave the same legacy to my children. My prayer is that one day when I stand before Christ he will look at me and say, “well done my good and faithful servant.” Which is from Matthew 25:21