My New Anniversary Celebration

I was raised in a wonderful Christian home and had many great things going for me. But I did not appreciate the wonderful life God had given me and started searching for something to take away that empty feeling. I remember being excited on the first day of school my junior year of High School. I admit, I couldn't wait to see if there were going to be any cute guys in my classes. And there I am in third period and I already found him and I was so excited when he ended up noticing me as well. We always flirted constantly with each other and were already having physical contact before we even started dating, holding each others hands, rubbing each others shoulders. We were two very different people, he was not a christian, we did not hang around the same groups of people, had interest in other things, yet I let a physical attraction with this guy take control of my life. We started dating and became serious very quickly. After several months of dating each other he started pressuring me to have sex with him. I told him no at first but eventually gave in. For years I was no longer myself because of this one very big mistake that I would continue to make for almost seven years with him. We ended up being on and off for several months of our last year of dating until one day it finally ended for good. He told me he was falling in love with a girl he worked with and he is now in a very serious relationship her. Everyone knew we were in a serious relationship but after all these years I never told anyone that we had a sexual relationship and kept this deep pain all to myself. I felt a lot of guilt and went through a lot of depression during our relationship and very much after our relationship ended as well. A few weeks later after our breakup, our would have been seven year anniversary was here and happened to fall on Easter Sunday. I remember sitting in church with my family and realizing what a more wonderful relationship I could celebrate, an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Although I was raised in a Christian home and was still going to Church during my relationship I had fallen so far away from God because of my sins. I realized that God is all I need, that I am forgiven and no one can ever take his place. It has been almost a year and what wonderful changes God has made in my life. I admit I still have days that I struggle with my past but God is alway there to help me through and I know I have a great future if I stay close to him.

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11