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| About three years after I started my adventure with God |
To a young child, her parents are her world. For me it was no exception. In April of 1976 my parents were going on vacation, so my oldest sister Susan (15 years older than me and in college at the time) and I delivered them to the airport before she took me to visit my grandparents.
I was deeply upset to see my parents leave, and my sister knew it. She said, "Sara, the worst thing that could happen is that they would die, but then they would go to be with God." Well, that made the unthinkable sound less harsh, but I was still worried sick.
On the way to my temporary home we passed a gigantic cemetery (it was probably only two blocks long, but it seemed especially large to a little girl). For the first time it occurred to me that I could die. All of those stones represented people who died. And just having talked about my parents' possible demise, it hit me. I could die!
God helped my sister steer the conversation toward helping me know how I could be right with God. If my parents would go to be with God when they died, then I wanted to be with God someday as well.
She shared verses with me from God's inspired Word that I had already been blessed to hear from the time I was a baby:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." I John 5:12-13
As we drove to my grandparents' house I knew that I was facing an important decision. Even though I was not quite four years old, I felt the conviction of God's Spirit in my heart, and I knew I was a sinner.
Later that evening, in my Grandma's bedroom, I told God that I believed that Jesus, God in the flesh, died for my sins. And I asked Him to forgive me and save me. At that moment, with tears gushing down my face, I felt a new joy and peace come alive inside me. God had redeemed me through Christ's sacrifice, and I had become a child of God!
Being born into a family that had Christian parents did not automatically make me a Christian. It was a decision I had to make when I was old enough to understand: was I going to accept God's offer of forgiveness and eternal life? Or, was I going to try to make it through life on my own?
In an upcoming post I am going to share with you about my Christian walk, and how I struggled with doubts as a young adult. I want to show you how God faithfully strengthened my faith and made it clear that I am forever His. Until then, is Jesus calling you?
