Karmen's Testimony

My name is Karmen and I am 19 years old. At this young age, I have learned some things in a way that I wish I hadn't had to learn in that specific way! Now growing up, my mom raised my sister and me in church. The first time I accepted Christ was at about the age of eight. Being so young, I didn't know what it meant to have a truly meaningful and intimate relationship with God. I didn't know how to have one with Him. From then on, I would live a Christian life only when I wanted to. Off and on again for about another six or seven years. One thing I did know though, was how to call on Jesus and that God can.

Now, when I was a freshman in high school, I lost my virginity. I felt like I was the best thing since sliced bread. I felt like I could get any man I wanted. No matter what age. I began to sleep with guys just because I thought they were cute or thought they were fine. By the time I was a sophomore, I had slept with over 25 guys. Most of them one night stands! Now the guys that I really liked, I would hold out for a little while to try to get them to like me back. Or I wouldn't sleep with them at all. Most of the guys I dated were twenty years of age and over. Me being so young and dumb, but still knowing everything, I thought this was okay. I thought I was mature enough for an older man.

One day, I met this guy named Jeff. He was about 24 at the time and I was about 15, 16. I lied about my age at first, but I realized that I really liked him when I had a strong need to tell him the truth about how old I was and to be totally honest about everything else. I finally told him the truth and he decided to continue to talk to me. I was so happy because again, I really liked him. Now Jeff, he was really a nice guy. He never tried to have sex with me and never pressured me into doing anything. I was too strong minded to let anyone pressure me into anything. All the wrong I did, I did because I wanted to. That's what's so bad about it.

Now Jeff and I had been talking for about three months now and I felt it was time to sleep with him. I was too curious and I knew that he really liked me. Remember, I'm still off and on with the Lord. At this time, I was on again. Exams were coming up soon and we got out of school early on exam days. This was the perfect opportunity to have sex with Jeff. I called Jeff and told him when to come over and at what time. Later on that night, I prayed to the Lord. I PROMISED him that I was not going to sleep with Jeff and that he could trust me to do the right thing. Stupid enough to do this, knowing that God is an all knowing God and that he knows what we'll do before we even do it, I didn't think about the consequences. Why did I promise Him that, knowing full well I had every intention of sleeping with him?

Well Jeff came over and we talked and played around and had a lot of fun. Just as he was about to leave, I asked him if he would like to see my bedroom. When we got there, you know what happened next. Now this time was different from all the other times that I'd had sex because Jeff and I had unprotected sex. I'd never had unprotected sex before and I hadn't slept with anyone the three some months that we had talked.

I was living with my uncle at the time and shortly after this happened, I moved back with my mom. I know it wasn't even three days later, I was in the tub and something just told me to look down at my private area. I looked at it closely and I saw these funny little sores there. I went to the clinic the next day(school was out by then)and they told me what I had already known. I had genital warts. An STD that there is NO cure for, only treatment.

As soon as I got home, I called Jeff and asked him if he needed to tell me anything. He had no idea what I was talking about. I told him that I had been to the clinic and I had genital warts and he had to be the one that gave it to me. He said that he hadn't had genital warts or any other disease. I explained to him that he was the only guy I had had unprotected sex with and even still I hadn't slept with anyone but him in the last few months. He still insisted that he hadn't infected me. I told him to go to the clinic and get checked out.

He came over the next day and told me that he'd tested negative for it and for some strange reason(as hard as it was to believe)I believed him. Jeff wouldn't lie about that, he was a nice guy. Why lie now anyway, right. I used the medicine that they gave me in hopes that it just wouldn't come back, but of course it did. I used it again with the same hopes, and once again, they came back. That's when I remembered my PROMISE.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I had taken the Lord for granted! I got down on my knees and prayed the hardest I had ever prayed in my life. I repented for lying and asked for forgiveness, but most of all, healing. Now being raised in church I knew that God was able to heal me, all I needed was faith to believe that He would. I took to medicine one last time and praise the Lord, they never came back! I haven't had a break out since. Now the two lessons the Lord taught me was(one)don't ever make a promise to Him, period. Especially if you know you aren't going to keep it. And second, He taught me that He was not a respector of persons and what He does for another, He'll most certainly do for me. Now, I hate I had to learn these lessons this way, but I'm glad that He allowed me to be infected with genital warts, or I'll still be breaking promises to Him.

So all I have to say to all of you out there, is don't listen to people when they say God doesn't work miracles anymore. It was by a miracle that he healed my body and it was by a miracle that he saved a retch like me. When I was lower that dirt, the Lord picked me up by a miracle and said I love you inspite of. Bound for hell, the Lord predestined me to go to Heaven!. Just little ole me. And baby, that's a miracle!.