Zulema

I grew up in a religious home. I thought I knew who God was and I tried to be a “good” person in order to go to heaven. Soon after, my family and I stopped going to church. Life was filled with hardships and difficulties; God was no longer a priority in our lives.

As the years went on, I began to struggle with low self-esteem. I desperately wanted to be accepted and to feel like I belonged. I didn’t understand that my identity was found in Christ. I started to seek my worth and value from my achievements, friends and relationships. When I left for college, my life began to spiral out of control. It was here where my rebellious lifestyle began. I was broken and hurting. I turned to the world to feel valuable, wanted and loved. I began to indulge my flesh and delight in sin. I was simply soothing wounds that only Jesus could heal.

In fall 2014, I came to Tampa with one purpose and one alone… to get my graduate degree from USF and quickly move on to the next big thing in life. Little did I know that the Lord had other plans for my life. I was introduced to Cornerstone Christian Church. The first time I attended, I felt God’s presence so powerfully. My heart was so convicted. I couldn’t deny that God was pursuing me. My heart was torn. I loved God, but I loved the world more. I wrestled with this for weeks.

After a few months, I was brought to the end of myself. I hit the darkest moment of my life. For the first time, I understood the weight of my sin and how destructive it was. I met with a campus minister for a Bible study and she shared the gospel with me. I had a choice to make. I could continue to live in a life of sin and go to hell, or I could live a life of obedience and spend eternity with Jesus Christ. It was that day I accepted Jesus as my Savior and surrendered my life to Him.

Since that point, my life has been filled with transformation, healing and growth. He’s healed my wounds and restored my life. I have been delivered from addictions that ruled my life for many years. I’m a new creation in Christ. My sins have been washed away by the powerful blood of Jesus. I’m so thankful for my church and the valuable discipleship I have received these past few years.

-Zulema