2014 Snapshots

Saturday, April 18

18.04 – The Day My Life Began.

white & yellow flowers 2 days ago I celebrated my birthday, but it is on this day I believe is the day when my life truly began.  I was "born again" .

I know the words "Born Again" scare some people and some think that it's just plain crazy.  I know,  I was there once.  In fact I was there a lot.  I used to see these  people who called themselves "Christians" and say  to myself, not me thank you.  You see I  was brought up in a "religious" family and so I knew there was a God and that he was to be respected and attended to on Sundays only.  And I was good at doing that.  Oh how I was good at "being “Holy” on a Sunday!!!

What I didn't know was that I could come to God on any day like he was my Father and that this could be a relationship.  I didn't know that God was also very interested in me.

And so it is on this day that I realized this truth and it just blew my mind away to know God loved me.  That I didn't just have to know God in my head but that I could also love Him in my heart and chat with him.  How awesome is that!

I remember that day so well.  I was in 11th grade and had made up my mind not to go home for the Easter break but go to an Easter Camp instead. The road trip was 4 hours from the coast to the mountains. There were 10 of us from school.  The camp was organized by TSCF (Tertiary Student Christian Fellowship) and so there were groups of students from the many campuses around the whole country. Remember I was not a believer yet so I was amazed at the number of students who were there at this camp.  So many young people.  Some seasoned Christians, some baby ones and others were like me, just curious.  What was all the rave about an Easter Camp?

Anyway it was a Saturday, we had all gathered in the hall after breakfast for a morning session. I sat there quietly.  Looking around.  I didn't know the songs that  were being sung, and it felt awkward but I clapped along.  After some singing and prayer this guy came out and started sharing, not preaching like I was used to on my "Sunday" morning church services but he was just talking.  Talking to us, sharing with us God's Word.  I sat there captivated.  Just soaking in what he was sharing, letting the words wash over me.  After sometime I started to cry, I don't know why but tears just began to come down my face.  I was still listening but by now I was sobbing, uncontrollably.  I didn't know why then but I was just crying.  I can’t remember how long I was crying for  and listening but I found myself up the front praying and making a commitment.  I remember seeing so many other young people around me but it was as though I was standing alone making this commitment.

This was such a beautiful day for me and I love to remember it.  It is really when my life began.  After I left the camp,  I felt at total peace, everything made sense. At that age and at that time of of life nothing really makes sense but for me everything around me just did.

I’m so glad I went to that camp.  I’m so thankful everyday that I went as a curious observer not knowing what to expect but just a willingness to listen.  But I know one thing for certain is that I came back with so much.

This is the day that my life truly began.

 What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it.       

Galatians 2:19-21 (only part of the verse above)

1 comment:

Faith said...

wonderful post. thanks for sharing!

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