The Asbury University Christian revival is winding down, as neither the small school nor the sleepy town can handle the massive influx of the faithful, as thousands from all over the country journeyed to the town to participate in the revival in the chapel. Still, though the event itself is now drawing to a close, those students involved continue to express their love of God. They do so by praying, worshiping, and telling stories about how the event forever changed their lives and the lives of others.
One senior at Asbury, a member of the golf team named Gracie Turner, spoke about how the spontaneous revival changed her faith journey during the university’s Thursday Collegiate Day of Prayer, an event meant generally for those 25 and younger.
Speaking on her faith and how the revival changed it, she began by describing how she liked going to church when she was young and, at the time, was passionate about her faith. But then that faith was rocked by the death of her great-grandmother. “I had to witness my great grandma, who I love dearly, I witnessed just her being taken away from us,” she said.
That occurred just a month before she got to Asbury and, once there she didn’t do well. She was homesick, cried daily, couldn’t find a community on campus, and even resented God. In her words “I was always so excited to come, but everything here dealt with religion. And at that time, the only person I could think of who to blame for my anxiety, depression, sadness, was God. I really resented Him.”
Continuing, she said “I came to Asbury and the only time I would pray to Him, I would just say, ‘God, it would be really nice if you just didn’t wake me up in the morning.'”
And so she wanted nothing to do with Christianity. Thus, when the revival in the chapel began, she didn’t attend at first. But, gradually she was prodded into going and her faith was restored. Speaking about that in front of the crowd, she said:
“I am not the biggest public speaker. I hate being on camera. I hate talking in front of people. Even if it’s just one person. But I felt like God was telling me you need to get up.”
“For the longest time, I had resented God. I wasn’t a believer. And I just kept thinking all these people are going to hate me. Because they’re all here for God and I’m getting up here telling my story.”
Fox News Digital, reporting on what happened next, said:
But as soon as Turner finished her testimony, the crowd began praying over her, hugging and crying. People reached out to grab her arms as she walked back to her seat.
“People were telling me you don’t know how many people you saved with that testimony,” Turner added.
The event caused Turner to think differently. It made her realize that you can be vulnerable amid the loneliness, isolation and sadness. For Turner, telling people how she had been feeling the past three years felt good.
Commenting on how she felt after returning to God, Turner said “I feel so much better. I feel like I’m at peace now. I feel like my anxiety and depression is so much better because now I can talk to God and give it all to Him. I realized that I’m not alone and for the past three years, I felt like I was alone. And I just know that He’s behind me.“
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