My Testimony - Who are you, God?

Even as a child, I remember praying to God, God if you are real and created all of this stuff, how is it that I only ever pay attention to you for an hour on Sunday?  It isn't really that I only thought of Him in mass on Sunday, I attended catechism and read my children's Bible, but even as a child I knew that something was missing.

Somewhere around the age of 16, I found my answer.  My brother, Greg, was home visiting from grad school.  We have a 10 year age difference, but we were always close.  I am thankful that he had the courage to share with me during his visit.  He explained how he had come into a relationship with Christ.  I no longer remember any of the details, except the simple truth that the Lord really wanted to be in an active personal relationship with me. I was convinced I had found my answer. I was excited. From this point on, I took a new interest in the Bible and began receiving newsletters from Keith Green (Last Days Ministries).  My brother had set me up with a pen-pal to ensure I had Christian fellowship.

At that time, life was a struggle for good and bad; I had the tug of wanting to do what was right and being easily pulled into what was wrong.  (Romans 7:21-23 It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.)

I remember the first time I felt God speak to my heart.  It was 1980 and I had been miserably struggling with guilt over foolish actions.  God took me to Hebrews 10:22. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."  There was no doubt in my mind that God was speaking to me that I was forgiven.  He was real and I knew it.

Continued on "My Testimony - Time to Be Rebuilt"