"My name is Payton and I am blessed that I get to share my testimony with you. My walk with God has been a difficult one until this past year. I was baptized and grew up in a Lutheran household but quickly lost my way due to difficulties and hardships in my childhood. I came from a broken home where I witnessed and took abuse at an early age from my mom’s boyfriend. Experiencing what my mom and I went through, I always wondered why God would let that happen to a mother and child. I remember we basically had to pack up in the middle of the night and leave my hometown to escape the abuse.
Later in life I surrounded myself with the wrong crowd due to a stepfather who I felt never really accepted me. I remember I started using drugs in the eighth grade. It was a way for me to feel cool and accepted or to feel nothing at all – but both were equally terrifying. And later drinking became a real problem. I drank every single weekend spending hundreds of dollars to again only feel the brokenness and emptiness in me. I would get high almost every single night and eat more than a human should eat."
"It wasn’t until I started work at my current job where I had my first encounter with someone who talked with me about Jesus. A new friend named Zak. He took a genuine interest in me and asked me about my relationship with the Lord. I distinctly remember him asking what my faith was and why I lost my way. At the time I thought, 'Who is this crazy guy asking me about my faith after an intense work meeting?'
But for some reason I felt comfortable talking to Zak who would turn out to be a great mentor and an even better friend. Zak is baptizing me today. Zak was faithful to be present and walk with me. He encouraged me with bible verses, and he answered questions about the Bible. It even got to the point where he would pray for me after meetings, at the end of the day, or after Monday night basketball hangouts. He was one of the first people in my life that knew nothing about me but showed love to me. And what I know now is that it was God working in and through Zak to get to me.
I joined the men’s bible study with Zak where we went through the book of Romans. There is one passage that just stuck out to me which talks about our present suffering and the future glory that we can have in Christ. Romans 8:18-21 says, 'I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.'"
"I had experienced suffering in my life—some that others inflicted and some that I brought on myself through my decisions. I had heard about glory before but never understood until that moment that this future glory is Heaven with Christ. It was at that time that I wanted to devote my life to Christ and trust Him as Savior and Lord. I realized that through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection that I could be made right with God and experience His grace and glory. That I have the love, acceptance, and approval of the Father because of Jesus.
Since then, there has not been one thing in my life that has not changed for the better. My outlook on life is more positive because I know Jesus is with me in every scenario. The patience I’ve gained has been life changing. My relationship with my family has improved and I am talking to them about how Jesus is working in me. My little brother has grown in his faith more and will send me TikToks and bible verses that help me learn. My little sister has started asking me questions about Jesus. And my mom who I’ve always looked up too, I can see her faith rekindling. The friendships and relationships I have built have been on more solid ground with Jesus first."
"Through all this journey-when I thought I would be the last person Jesus would love-He has given me more love and guidance than I could ever have thought. I know that I am saved by Jesus and that’s why I got baptized." - Payton Rediger