Shine the Light
Member
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…” (John 10:27-28)
Even as a small child, I began to love Jesus after hearing about Him in the Catholic church. Outwardly, we were a religious family, but our life at home, as well as our shallow relationship with God the Father proved that we were operating without an “anchor.” This was not sufficient for me as I was one who sought a deeper faith, a deeper knowledge of God. I believe now that God had been calling me, and I was hearing His “voice.”
It took until my college years before I really listened to God in a serious way. I needed some humbling, and God used an incident in my life to show His love and truth to me. During this time, what little religious teaching I had previously had was eroded away in a liberal college environment and I declared myself an agnostic. Things went downhill quickly from there and I ended up leaving two years shy of a degree. This was quite a blow to my pride. I had to face the fact that I had failed to realize my goal and life would now become something very different than I had imagined (God has recently allowed me to complete my degree with the loving support of my husband).
As a working girl, I was able to make quite a decent living. However, God was just beginning to get my attention. I met up with an old friend who had become a Christian who told me how God turned her heart to Himself. To tell the truth, I was unmoved for awhile. She and I had been partners in partying and I knew her hardened heart very well. It was not until she invited me over for dinner that I began to think that she really had changed. She had a softer and quieter spirit about her which was a shock to me, really, as she was pretty much the queen of sarcastic humor in our crowd.
I went home and did some Bible reading on my own. I turned to John 3:16 and read how Jesus Christ came into the world so that I (all!) could be saved. I thought to myself, “Is this what I have been longing for? Is it that I need to be saved?” I could not deny that I was a sinner, and that I had no idea where I would end up when I died-especially since I was currently agnostic! I read John 8:12 which says that I would no longer walk in darkness, but have the light of life. This is where my heart leapt with hope and joy! I saw how God loved me so much that He made a way for me to be with Him! I prayed that night to be forgiven of my sins, and that I accepted and believed that Jesus Christ died so that I could live eternally.
Now I was God’s child and my relationship with Him began to grow. Through Bible reading, praying and learning from mature Christians, I started on the path to becoming more like Christ-a journey that will continue until I am home with Him.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:27-28
Even as a small child, I began to love Jesus after hearing about Him in the Catholic church. Outwardly, we were a religious family, but our life at home, as well as our shallow relationship with God the Father proved that we were operating without an “anchor.” This was not sufficient for me as I was one who sought a deeper faith, a deeper knowledge of God. I believe now that God had been calling me, and I was hearing His “voice.”
It took until my college years before I really listened to God in a serious way. I needed some humbling, and God used an incident in my life to show His love and truth to me. During this time, what little religious teaching I had previously had was eroded away in a liberal college environment and I declared myself an agnostic. Things went downhill quickly from there and I ended up leaving two years shy of a degree. This was quite a blow to my pride. I had to face the fact that I had failed to realize my goal and life would now become something very different than I had imagined (God has recently allowed me to complete my degree with the loving support of my husband).
As a working girl, I was able to make quite a decent living. However, God was just beginning to get my attention. I met up with an old friend who had become a Christian who told me how God turned her heart to Himself. To tell the truth, I was unmoved for awhile. She and I had been partners in partying and I knew her hardened heart very well. It was not until she invited me over for dinner that I began to think that she really had changed. She had a softer and quieter spirit about her which was a shock to me, really, as she was pretty much the queen of sarcastic humor in our crowd.
I went home and did some Bible reading on my own. I turned to John 3:16 and read how Jesus Christ came into the world so that I (all!) could be saved. I thought to myself, “Is this what I have been longing for? Is it that I need to be saved?” I could not deny that I was a sinner, and that I had no idea where I would end up when I died-especially since I was currently agnostic! I read John 8:12 which says that I would no longer walk in darkness, but have the light of life. This is where my heart leapt with hope and joy! I saw how God loved me so much that He made a way for me to be with Him! I prayed that night to be forgiven of my sins, and that I accepted and believed that Jesus Christ died so that I could live eternally.
Now I was God’s child and my relationship with Him began to grow. Through Bible reading, praying and learning from mature Christians, I started on the path to becoming more like Christ-a journey that will continue until I am home with Him.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:27-28