Hi mga sisses na INC! I'm from Antipolo. Let me share my story. It's quite long but it's worth reading -
Actually, I'm a former Catholic, converted to INC in August 2009. I met my husband 11 years ago sa former work ko sa province, I'm still a Catholic then while hubby was already an INC, may tungkulin na sha nun. We became good friends, I have a bf then while he has a gf na INC rin. One time he invited me to attend yung pagsamba. Sumama naman ako, but after that I said to myself, I won't go there again coz... what for? My family is a devoted catholic, so I don't need a new religion. After a few months I resigned sa company so hindi na kami nagkita ni hubby coz I went back to Manila.
7 years passed, I've been thru a lot of failed relationships... in short hindi pa ako nakakapag-asawa. I was hopeless then, feeling ko tatandang dalaga na ako. Then, hubby and I met again. He's still single too, no gf. We became close friends again, until naging kami na. We really felt that it was destiny, that God brought us together. Kaso, we have different religions. So I started attending yung mga doktrina ng INC, coz we really think na kami na magkakatuluyan.
But since I was not really that serious about it, coz for me religion isn't that important as long as you have only one God whom you believe in eh ayos na yun. So in short, I did not push thru with attending yung doktrina and I was not converted to INC. Si hubby naman slowly, naging matamlay na sa mga pagsamba... until totally hindi na sha sumamba. Months have passed, until we got married... sa Catholic church. And months after that, natiwalag na sha sa INC. I knew it was very painful for him. But deep inside I rejoiced coz he chose me over his religion which proved how much he loved me. Since then we've been attending mass na sa catholic church.
A year passed by... our marriage didn't come easy. We always argue with even the simplest things. We always fight, to the point that halos maghiwalay na kami. Also, my health got worse. I had a lot of illnesses (asthma, migraine, epilepsy, allergies, kidney stones), daming expenses sa hospital, medications, etc.
One day, I was talking to my friend who's also an INC. I told her about my illnesses and my marriage troubles. She suddenly said that maybe I should repent, ask forgiveness to God, and to attend ng panata sa INC. She also said that maybe God is mad and is punishing us coz I took hubby away from Him. Upon hearing this kinilabutan ako. What if this is all true? What if God really is mad at us kaya ako nagkakasakit, kaya nagsa-suffer ang marriage namin? This made me think, and it was really an eye-opener for me. Later that day, I told hubby that maybe we should start attending ng mga pagsamba ulit. He was really surprised to hear it from me! But I saw an excitement and hope in his face. So there, nagsimula na ulit kaming sumamba sa INC. Then after a few days, niyaya ko si hubby mag-doktrina. It was difficult then coz we have work at night, so every weekends lang kami nagdodoktrina, 3 to 4 hours straight. And I was still struggling with my illnesses.
Upon attending ng mga doktrina, that's when I realized why INC is so important for hubby. INC is not just like any other religion. All of its teachings are based on the Bible, no more, no less. Andami kong nalaman sa Bible na nung una hindi ko talaga alam. Most of all, nakakamangha yung mga prophecies sa Bible na nagkakatotoo, even yung pagkakatuklas sa INC nanduon. Yung belief ko dati na religion is not that important as long as isang Diyos lang ang pinaniniwalaan nyo, that's not true pala. Religion is very important, lalo na kung yung kina-aaniban mong religion is yun ang kinikilala ng Diyos. This makes you closer to Him and mas feel mo talaga ang presence ni God sa bawat mga pagsamba.
Hubby also told me, kahit nung time na sa Catholic na kami sumasamba, deep inside him he's still praying that somehow, someday makabalik sya sa INC and maisama nya ako. So I guess God has not totally been mad at us coz somehow He still heard hubby's prayers. Maybe He just tried to punish us, just as what parents do kapag nagkakamali ang kanilang anak, to make us realize our mistakes. Pero ang mas maganda, instead na si hubby ang lapitan ni God, this time ako na mismo ang nilapitan nya, ako ang pina-realize nya.
We finished yung doktrina, then na-bautismohan ako nung August of last year. It was a very memorable and humbling experience coz now I'm proud to say na mas nakilala ko na ang Diyos, and he forgave all my sins na. Since then, unti-unti... nawala ang mga illnesses ko like a miracle. Our marriage became stronger than ever. Hubby and I became closer and more inlove with each other. God is now at the center of our marriage. Every blessing, big or small, comes from God. I feel so proud and lucky to be an Iglesia Ni Cristo.
