When I was in second grade, I stayed overnight at a friend’s house and went to church with her family to the Baptist church they regularly attended. During the altar call, I went forward and devoted my life to Christ. . . a pretty amazing thing for a relatively shy 7 year old child in the midst of strangers to do – but his ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8)
Fast forward 17 years. I am now a divorced mom of a three year old and I’m struggling. I am disillusioned by my career, depressed over my divorce and plain scared at the prospect of raising a boy all alone. His dad stayed involved all along, but when my son was with me it was just the two of us. I wanted to raise him with good values – “morals” I termed it.
“So, how do I do that?” I wondered. “I know! I’ll take him to church. Those people have morals – or at least they try to. Sure, they’re a little deluded and maybe weak – using religion as a crutch – and they can’t be very bright – any educated person knows there can’t be only ONE way to God – if there even IS a God – or if he even cares . . . but still, it would be good for my son.”
I found a church that accepted us, no, embraced us and was shocked to discover that many of the members were highly educated- very smart people in fact. They weren’t delusional at all – and they weren’t weak. In fact, they were some of the strongest people I’d ever known. They all had struggles of one kind or another, but they still took time to love and care for others – even me and my boy.
The more I saw God working through these people, and the more I studied His word, the more I honestly searched for Him, the more REAL He became to me.
I went looking for a God for my son, and was found by God and His Son.
On my 25th birthday I gave myself a present – I accepted the greatest present ever given. Jesus Christ became my Lord and Savior. I was baptized a few months later on Palm Sunday and wanted to shout out like the rocks along the road to Jerusalem. (Luke 19:40)
God made a covenant with me when I was 7 – and even though I didn’t keep my end of the bargain, He did. He is so faithful. (Exodus 34:6)
I have been on an adventure with Him ever since.
I am now married to a Christian man and we have two more children – we have decided to raise them with “morals” too. I pray God and His Son find them like they found me 15 years ago. I pray God and His Son find you too.
“Repent then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the LORD and that He may send the Christ who has been appointed for you – even Jesus.” Acts 3:19
