Confirmation and my testimony

Today I was confirmed at my Church.
For those who are not Christian and wondering what on earth I am talking about, the tradition in the Church of England is to be Baptised as a baby and then to confirm the promises your parents made for you at your Baptism, as an adult.  The confirming of the promises your parents made is called confirmation.  It is also the time when you can officially start taking the bread and the wine (communion) although I have been taking communion for a long time because i felt I had confirmed my faith in my heart a long time ago.   As a teenager I had the chance to be confirmed, all my friends were doing it, but I didn't feel ready.   I feel like such a different person to who I was as a teenager so my confirmation was a very significant thing for me to do.
Here is the testimony that I gave today after my confirmation, a testimony is usually the story of how a Christian came to their faith:

I was raised as a Christian and have always believed in Jesus.  However I can't say that I have always felt like I could let God be in charge of my life.  The transformation from wanting to be in control to being able to give God the control did not happen in a flash but has been a gradual process.  I liken it to a cup being filled by a dripping tap, at one point the cup was empty and drip but drip the cup has become fuller, so that somewhere in the last 27 years a transformation took place in my heart so that I was able to say to God "Here is my life, do what you like with it, it's yours." Being confirmed is a way for me to publicly acknowledge a change that has already taken place in my heart, from being unwilling to being willing.  And I now look forward to God continuing to fill up my cup drip by drip until it is overflowing.

I could have said a lot more, but thank goodness I didn't, I only managed to say this short paragraph before I got choked up!


Here is one of the verses that was read:


John 3:1-7
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
 ³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
 ⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
 ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

Hope you all have a wonderful week.