My Testimony by Chad Thieman

“There is no greater relief than stepping into your personal ministry in Christ and helping others to do the same.” ~ CJT

About twenty-eight years ago, I made a conscious decision to live with an eternal purpose. That purpose would be to share the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I began to do so through writing, which I previously struggled with greatly. I was as simple in my writing style as a writer could be. Fortunately, Our Heavenly Father uses simple people and simple words to do extraordinary things, for the sake of His Kingdom and His Glory.

I had sought God since I was a small child, but it was the Lord who found me. Once He had placed the desire in me to live for Him, there was no turning back. I made the decision to surrender my life to the Lord, repenting of my sin, confessing Christ as my Lord and Savior, embracing His death and resurrection, and choosing to continually live out my life for Christ; all of which helped to alter the direction of my life forever.

It was in my teenage years that I dedicated my life to Christ. While most other people around my age excelled in some area or another, I had never really found my niche. I honestly didn’t feel like I had anything to offer the Lord, other than myself, so that is exactly what I did. All I knew is that I wanted to make a change, invest in others, and do something with an eternal purpose for the Lord’s Kingdom!

I decided to go and pick up some sidewalk chalk at a store in town, and I spent the next hour or so writing “Jesus loves you” across the sidewalk in various places for all the lonely passerby. Though I did not know it at the time, this would be the start of my inspirational writing for the Lord.

God had plans, and I just had to align my God-given desires with His will and purpose for my life. I received the Spiritual gift of inspirational writing long before I could develop the natural talent. The Lord had inspired me to write using the simplest and most important message of all, which I believe anchored me in our Lord’s profound truth of compassion, grace, and humility.

It wasn’t long after that experience when I started to notice “moments of inspiration,” when my Heavenly Father would direct me to write down inspirational words and verses. I soon developed a strong and focused desire to write for the Lord. As time went by, it became ever so clear to me that inspirational writing was my higher purpose in life. By acting upon my higher purpose, I would actively begin to participate in my personal ministry in Christ.

I started tracking with the Holy Spirit by writing down all the inspiration that came to me, whether it was a few lines of poetry, a brief phrase, or even a word or two. I knew I had to invest whatever the Lord gave me back into the Kingdom of Christ, and I didn’t want to let any of His inspiration go to waste. All such inspiration thereafter would come to me at certain times over the next several years. Sometimes the words would flow and come together; while other times I continually moved words around until they reflected the message that the Lord inspired me to deliver.

I have always considered my writing a spiritual gift, not a natural one by any means. This spiritual gift was given to me so many years ago, when I had made that life-changing commitment to live out a lasting legacy for God, the Father, and for my Lord, Jesus Christ.

I have since been blessed with authoring a threebook trilogy, “101 Treasurable Poems of Faith, Hope, and Love,” “101 Treasurable Poems of Life, Love, and Light,” and “101 Treasurable Poems of Body, Soul, and Spirit; ” a two-book devotional series called “Seasons of Poetry,” which includes the titles “Sea of Serenity” and “Gardens of Paradise;” two-book discipleship and devotional series called “The Way of Wisdom Series” which includes “The Christ Network” and “The Joshua Tree; ” a poetry and prayer gift book called “My Little Book of Poetry and Prayer; ” and an extended coffee table edition of all my work called “The Poetry Treasury: A Family Library of Inspirational Poetry.”

The Poet in Me

Some have called me a poet,

Though I would have to disagree.

It may have been my hand that wrote it,

But the Spirit of love was guiding me.

Though the reader may never know it,

I tell you this with all honesty.

Many poems have failed before it,

When nothing was there to inspire me.

The real author is the truest of poets,

And by His words, He always will show it. I am only God’s instrument you see,

My Heavenly Father is the poet in me!

In conclusion, I would like to encourage you to seek and develop your personal ministry in and through Christ. Along the way, I have experienced inner joy and peace in my journey regardless of the difficulties and trials. Our God is indeed an awesome God!

Chad Thieman

Inspirational Author Chad Joseph Thieman has written six poetry gift books, two devotionals, and one coffee table edition of all his work called “The Poetry Treasury.” He lives with his wife Tina “Bryant” Thieman in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Chad’s writing includes faith-based, romantic, and nature themes. He has been writing for over 25 years and has written 365 inspirational poems, and many short stories, parables, proverbs, and devotions.

Photo by Karen Ruhl