Harry Troyer

By Harry Troyer

September 28, 2019

I grew up in an Old Order Amish community. Even though the first word that comes to my mind when I think about my parents is “disciplinarian,” I did really enjoy the childhood that I got to experience. I liked the simplicity and community I was surrounded by; it gave me a sense of security.

As a disciplinarian, my dad was very strict with me and didn’t allow even me to have the common freedoms that my fellow Amish friends had. Eventually, I couldn’t take the control and decided to leave at the age of eighteen. I waited until my family left for church and then left a note in the mailbox on my way out the drive.

A conservative family took me in and allowed me to stay with them, which was a big help. Still, I really struggled to fit in and adapt to the new culture I was now a part of. It also hurt that I could not have a relationship with my family back home. Thankfully, now that the ban is lifted, our relationship has turned more normal.

After leaving the Amish, I learned about salvation and asked Jesus into my heart. When I first got saved, I looked at my salvation through the lens of the law, but today, as a seventy-eight-year-old retired man, I am free from that mentality. I now think of the Gospel and the Cross as being a one time event in my life; the life that I now live is Christ in me. The resurrection gives me hope in life, and I have a passion for truth.

My father was an Amish minister, and from his ministry, I remember him quoting a verse often: Romans 8:16. This verse says “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” That verse never meant a lot to me when I was Amish, but now that verse means so much more! I strive to hear His voice for my life and look forward to see where he leads from here.

This letter has been published with permission from the owner.

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