'Make God the centre of your life'
Published:Thursday | February 9, 2017 | 12:40 AMShanique Samuels
MAY PEN, Clarendon:
Shenique Smith worships at the Full Truth Church of God Deliverance Centre in Clarendon where she gave her life to Christ at the age of 16.
She explained that she opted to give her life to Christ in 2011 because she was going through a lot of emotional changes, abuse and peer pressure coupled with low self-esteem.
"As a young lady having no one to relate or speak with concerning those challenges, I made a covenant with God that I would give my life to Him if he would help me or allow someone to understand, which He did. 'The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand'," said Smith.
Psalm 121:5 is a golden text Shenique has proven to be true having escaped an accident unhurt - with not a single scratch. Recalling how many times God has been made real in her life, she said the most memorable instance was while attending high school.
"I was travelling in the front of a school bus heading home when an accident occurred. The bus I was in was speeding and overtaking and was heading directly for another bus. While trying to avoid a direct hit, the bus turned and the other bus hit the side where I was sitting and the side view mirror broke and fragments from the mirror flew in my face. At that point, the bus stopped and the driver came checking and there was not even a small scratch on my face or my body! God is truly amazing if he hadn't been there protecting me I wouldn't have made it this far," she told Family and Religion.
Smith added: "Since I've embraced Christ, there have been times when I have been persecuted, and pushed aside. I have had sexual challenges, having to abstain and fleeing from fornication and to maintain holiness and certain standards, but I realised that God is a keeper, He is able to keep us from falling."
Now that she is on this Christian journey, Smith says her entire life has changed and she doesn't have to worry about the daily troubles of life anymore because she knows she is protected, blessed and highly favoured by God.
She now spends a great deal of time encouraging people and ministering the word of God at church and to every individual she meets.
"My word of advice to especially the young people is that God is able to keep you from falling. If you have fallen by the way and you feel you can't rise again, just call unto God and he will hear and deliver you, it doesn't matter how you have fallen or how long. God still loves you and cares, He still has a purpose and plan for your life."
"God is calling you because you are strong, let no one discourage or tell you that you cannot make it, do not allow the devil to deceive you, you are not worthless, your situation is not hopeless, you don't have to dress or behave a particular way to be loved or noticed. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. There might be struggles that you are faced with and you feel alone with no one to confide in and no one understands. He will be your friend, just accept him and he will turn things around for you. Jesus loves you," she encouraged.