An anniversary

When facing big events in my life, I tend to get reflective. Does anyone else do that? Facing graduation, the uncertainty of the next couple of years in school, my upcoming anniversary (11 years!!), etc. I find myself looking back.... As I was cooking dinner last night, I was thinking about how different I am now than I was before Jesus saved me. I realized my "anniversary" of becoming a Christian is also here. It seems like it's been a million years, but it hasn't been quite that long...

14 years ago, when I was 17 years old, I attended a TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) weekend, which is a Lutheran run program for making disciples and leaders of teenagers. A couple of friends who had already gone asked me to go. It is a 3 day program, each day focusing on a major theme of being a Christian. The first day is DIE day - it focuses on the death of Jesus. It teaches how Jesus faced a brutal death on the cross - not for anything He had done wrong, but for what I had done wrong. The 2nd day is RISE day - it focuses on the resurrection and how Jesus conquered death to bring new life to those that believe in Him - even those that had committed the sins that put him on the cross. The 3rd day is GO day - it focuses on making a commitment to serve God and take what you have learned to the world around you. On GO day, there is a re-confirmation ceremony. All of the other kids had already gone through confirmation and were renewing their commitment to God. Well, I realized I had no commitment to God.

From the previous 2 days, I had learned of the sacrifice Jesus made for me (and you!) and the joy of his resurrection. I wanted to make a commitment to God! I wanted Jesus to know that I now understood what He had done for me - as much as I could at the time. He had died in my place. He had died for the sins I had committed. He took my punishment. In tears, I asked Jesus to help me know how to be His, and I consider that the first day of my Christian life. Through the years, Jesus has become more and more real to me and has become the One I can always count on, even when people disappoint me (and they surely will). He is the One that will never leave me - even if people do (and they surely will).

There were bumps after that. I didn't know what it meant to be a Christian and didn't really have a church family to help me out, so I struggled along for a few years with finding myself in Christ. I had a lot of doubt and a lot of anger at God and at the people in my life (and sometimes still do even now). I still struggle with trusting and following and submitting. I am still stubborn at times and say no when I should say yes. I still do the wrong thing when I know what the right thing is. I am still filthy rags compared to His goodness and holiness. But I am SO very thankful that He loves me anyway.

I just wanted to share my joy today and share again how thankful I am that God loved me enough to die for me and loves me enough now to forgive me when I do the wrong thing. For I truly believe life is hopeless and shallow without Jesus Christ as your guide.

Did you know he loves you that much too? It's true! The Bible tells it:

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 10:9,10 "If you confess with your mouth "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

John 3:16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him (the son) will not perish, but will have eternal life."