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Hello my name is Wiley Petersen. I ride bulls in the PBR (Professional Bull Riders). As much as I enjoy being a Professional Bull Rider, I feel that it is not as important as the One that I do it for: Jesus Christ. I have been living for Christ since I was 18 years old. How I came to know Jesus as my Savior is quite an interesting story which has shown me how awesome it is when God works.
I guess that I have always believed in a god. Like so many people in this world, I believed that there was a "Higher Power," but I didn't know any of the details. This ignorant belief in a god that I didn't know left a hole inside of my heart, and I didn't know quite how to fill it. I was curious to know how people get to heaven (if there even was one). Well, it turned out a lady my family knew was a Born again Christian, so I asked her how a person could get to heaven. She told me that all I had to do was ask Jesus to come into my heart and forgive me of my sins. So, not knowing that I only needed to ask Jesus into my heart once, I did it every night. I believe that from that time on I had the Holy Spirit working on me. I asked Jesus into my heart, but I didn't give Him my life. God soon changed my perspective. Every time that I did something that wasn't right I had this little voice inside my head that would just keep eating away at me until I would tell someone and ask God to forgive me. This is not saying that I was doing really bad things, but even the "little" sins would tear me apart. I never realized that my sin was hurting myself, as well as other people. I continued to live in habitual sin until I was eighteen years old.
Right around my eighteenth birthday my mom “persuaded” me to go to church. I wasn't happy with the way my life was going, because something was still missing. I went to church and listened to what was said and something clicked. I could see a genuine love for God and others in the people I met at that church. God touched my heart and that little voice (the Holy Spirit) said, "this is it," and I decided that I wanted to live for the One who died for me. I knew that the road that I was choosing was not going to be easy, and there were a lot of things that were going to change in my life, but I didn't care. In light of the evidence of the Bible and the awesome love of God, I had no other choice to make. I was answering the call that God had put on my life, and I was willing to suffer for Christ's sake. I was suffering before, but it was all in the vain pursuit of momentary pleasure. The difference now was that I would be suffering for someone who suffered for me. I found the love of Jesus that day.
Since the day that I committed my life to Christ, my eyes have been opened to so many amazing things that God is doing. My life now has purpose. Everyday I fall more in love with my Savior and best friend. I know that God is calling me into some sort of ministry (as He does everyone who surrenders to Him), and I just take life one day at a time. I know that I must keep my eyes on Him and my ears open to His voice. Since I was ten years old, I have dreamed of being a Professional Bull Rider and now with God, I have seen that dream come true. I know that the same can be true for everyone. All we have to do is put God first in our lives and be willing to do what He wants us to do. Everything falls into place when we let God do the work.
Thank you for letting me share my testimony with you and I pray that God blesses you beyond belief.
Your friend in Christ,
Wiley Petersen
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