The Gift of Salvation

No doubt, my life’s journey to God has been similar, yet strikingly different from others.  No matter how we finally get to God, each of our journeys is marked with a fork in the road, a turning point  where God charts a new course for our life. My life changed direction at the young age of seven. I remember the moment well, walking down the aisle of a Billy Graham Crusade with my mother, dad and sister. Although I don’t recall the message or the program that night, I felt God’s gentle nudging as I watched hundreds of new believers stream toward the front, while counselors waited anxiously to explain the gift of salvation. "Just as I am without one plea” rang repeatedly over the speaker system as Billy Graham pleaded for others to make their decision for Christ. On that night, at the age of seven, I confessed my faith and accepted Christ as my savior, although I have no clue to this day what my level of understanding might have been. What I do know is that on that night, God reached down, grasped my hand and never let go. On that night he knew that, although I would wander far from his presence, he would find a way to reach me and gather me up in his arms, pushing me back into the fold - his little lost sheep who he loved enough to rescue time and time again from the edge of the cliff.

After the Graham crusade my mother and dad were committed to leading a spiritual life, one that required church on Wednesday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night. CHURCH WAS LIFE and there was nothing outside of that safety cocoon. No movies, no makeup, no dancing, and certainly no close friends from the outside world! As I approached my teenage years, I railed against the rigidity of it all, unwilling to be obedient to God and to my parents, determined to choose and think for myself. After all, as young adults we always know much more than our authority figures, right? Besides, it was the sixties and we were all hippied up in full fledged rebellion.

In my early twenties, I chose a strong helping of the world and less of church. I entered the military and wandered far from home and all things religious. I experimented with everything life had to offer but kept God at a safe distance, calling on him only when I needed to be supported by his mighty arms. I studied all the religions of the world in college, decided there were more questions than answers, and that I would never really arrive safely at "absolute truth."

In my thirties, I set aside the fundamentalist perspective for a softer and more palatable version of spirituality - you know, the one where God loves all his creation and could never sentence anyone to eternal damnation. I dabbled in the healing and meditative arts, read all the budding New Age authors, learned to pronounce and demonstrate "namaste," had a few mystical experiences, and then tried to meld all I had experienced into the square box of my child-like understanding of God. How many nights I awakened in the wee hours, unable to sleep as I contemplated unresolved questions - whether God was real, if he loved me despite the fact that I had strayed as far from Him as the Israelites had in the Old Testament, and whether He would ever return to set up his kingdom in the center of the world, Jerusalem.

My forties ushered in the all-consuming roles of mother and wife. There was no time for spiritual contemplation. I was working 40 hours a week running my end of the business, keeping a household in order, shuttling kids to games, and trying to hold onto some semblance of sanity. I wish someone would have insisted that I resign as "Mistress of the Universe." How many times God must have extended his hands, offering help, saddened as I denied his offer of aid to heal my heavily laden psyche.

Now, at the age of almost 60, I have come full circle, returning to the beliefs my parents first shared with me. I have released all the unanswered questions to the ethers. I have consciously chosen to just simply believe the Holy Bible to be absolute truth. I believe God created our world. I believe Jesus walked this earth and died because we are imperfect and sinful. I believe Jesus suffered for us so that we could be with him as we walk through not only this lifetime but the afterlife as well. I believe he indeed will return to judge those who have denied his gift of salvation. I believe God’s hand will always be extended to us because he loves us. He is not hard to find; he is ever present and just a whisper away.

If you do not know this amazing God, I encourage you to begin to explore the Bible through a study group in a church or Sunday school. If you can’t find one you feel comfortable with, ask God to direct your path and he will provide a special place for you to learn about Him through his Word - just like he did me. If you have not asked Christ to walk with you through life, here is the prayer I would suggest to you. Just simply call His name, study his Word with a good teacher, and your life will change for the better.

Back to Articles