A Journey of Restoration by Debbie Chiecchi

Today’s guest blogger is Debbie Chiecchi. Debbie is a faith-based artist who lives in Frisco, Texas. She is often commissioned to paint for others and her paintings have been featured in galleries and art shows. She also uses her art to create greeting cards. She calls it the “Pathways and Promise Series.” Here is what Debbie says about this line of cards: 

Have any of you given thought to the day when you will meet your maker? When you will see the movie of your life being played back? What will that movie look like and most importantly, did you finish strong?

Since we are all still breathing at the moment, every one of us can have a positive finish here on earth and victorious life in the eternal realms.

We all start life with a blank canvas. Our choices in life often present us with either thorns or fragrant blooms. As I have personally traveled on this path of life, mine has been filled with both. There have been many “opportunities,” disappointments and heartbreaks as well as true joy, peace and hope.

The backstory of my journey begins with my childhood. I was blessed to have been born into a Christian home and heritage. My father was and still is a preacher or teacher of some capacity, from before the time that I was born. My grandparents pastored a church in Southern California, and our family is full of pastors and evangelists.

When I was six years old, I remember vividly accepting Jesus into my heart with my father leading me in prayer. At that age I remember being more afraid of going to hell than really appreciating the sacrifice that Christ made for me. I now call it “Fire Insurance” because I did not truly grasp the magnitude of this decision.

Growing up, I was a very compliant “Christian” and very legalistic, because I didnʼt smoke, drink or party like the others. You can probably guess the denomination that I grew up in. By the time I was a junior in High School, I had quite the self-righteous attitude. The whole time growing up, it always felt like we were just barely making it financially. That, coupled with what felt to me like much hypocrisy in the Church, was the beginning of an almost two decade stint of rebelling against all that I had been taught, and started doing things MY WAY. I stopped going to church altogether and began following the way of the world, feeling that if I worked hard, received an undergraduate degree and fit in with everyone else, life would be very successful and fulfilling. I worked full-time to support my college education and learned quickly how to become a work-a-ho-lick.

I remember going through a phase of thinking that God could not be so narrow-minded and exclude people that might never have the opportunity of hearing about Christ. However, after almost two decades of doing things my way, I felt a deep emptiness, and my life was full of striving.

Continuing to work hard and climbing the corporate ladder was becoming very stressful and I began to wonder “Is this all there is to life?” I felt like the proverbial hamster on the wheel spinning really fast and going nowhere.

It was becoming very apparent that doing things my way was very painful and not what God had intended for me. My heart and soul were crying out for a meaning to all this madness in life. All work, little play, and the light in my eyes began going dim from a lack of purpose.

I felt that going back to church was the answer. My husband, at the time, would occasionally join me and we became part of a small group. But this change in direction just wasnʼt for him. After all, it was cutting into the “sacred” Sunday long runs. After returning from a trip to Italy I was informed that my husband wanted a divorce. Another disappointment and unmet expectation of a happy ever after ending.

In those years away from following God and His ways, I experienced the hardship of two failed marriages, which had its own set of consequences.

After this divorce, I wanted to start doing all things Godʼs way. I started to attend Bible studies again and began seeking God with my heart. However, even with the Bible reading, spending quiet time praying to God, and attending all of the Bible studies, I still didnʼt feel I was living a fully victorious Christian life. There was still an area of my life that I repeatedly failed in. That was in the area of purity. I wanted to be married again, but wanted a man who would love and honor God as I desired to. It seemed that while the many men I dated following my divorce were given the up front agreement of my desire to be married to the right man and my desire of staying pure, this ended in the same failed conclusion and ultimate breakups. We all know that breakups do cause pain either to one party or both. That era caused me pain, and to the ones whom I caused pain to, I am truly sorry.

I felt determined that my FINAL husband would honor that desire to remain pure, and love God as much as I did. In 2007, I married David and felt that because we did things Godʼs way that life would instantly be filled with blessings and eternal bliss. Wow! Our marriage was tested with several major challenges from the beginning. I had to choose to honor my commitment and covenant to God and my husband. It was in the heat of those trials that I sought God out with all of my heart, and found Him.

Growing up, we were taught about God, the Father, Jesus, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Houston, we had a small problem. It seemed that many churches stayed far away from teaching about the Holy Ghost, aka the Holy Spirit. During those trials is when I learned the true meaning of who the person of the Holy Spirit is, and His role in being our helper.

God revealed this in His word and through Sandy Edmonson, who at the time, was an 89 year old womenʼs Bible study teacher. Through numerous verses that she shared from the New Testament about the role of the Holy Spirit, my understanding of God and having a personal relationship with Him, things began to dramatically change. I began to understand exactly what it meant to have Godʼs peace in the midst of storms, and the true meaning of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I also learned how that related to my life and how I could live a victorious life here in this life and into eternity.

Over a span of many years of studying the Bible, I now truly feel that the Bible is the authentic word of God that can be trusted and taken seriously. The words of God can be authenticated through ancient manuscripts, archeological findings, fulfilled prophecies and the statistical relevance of those prophecies becoming true.

God gives us free will to choose to love Him and trust Him. Just like we would never want to force someone into loving us, God wants us to truly love Him. The more I dug into the Bible and read it from cover to cover, the more I understood the character of God, His extravagant and perfect love for us. In this love, He has given us a way to be reconciled back to Him.

God has made himself known personally to me during the trials of life. When I look back on several occasions, I can see His hand of protection and provision for my every need.

My life still has tests, trials and “opportunities,” but I now have the assurance and knowledge that by having accepted Jesus Christ into my heart and repenting for the bad choices that I have made, I have eternal security in heaven with our maker. I also have the peace in knowing that we are all here for a purpose and that God works all things together for our good when we love and trust Him.

Would you like this kind of assurance and peace in your life today?

(c)2013 Life

by Debbie Chiecchi Jackson

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