It was a teacher work day and I had been going through some rough events in my life and was not looking for a relationship of any sort. I walked in to the restaurant and saw her across the room. She was sitting with my former teaching partners so I had an instant “in”. I went over to their table and was introduced to Jennifer, my future bride. After we left the restaurant I immediately called over to the school to talk to the teacher she was doing her student teaching under to find out about her relationship status; she was single.
We went on our very first date the next day and I also met her parents that day when I went to pick her up. We went to lunch and a little shopping because school was closed due to snow. We’ve been together ever since that first date.
She was a lot different than I was. Her and her family were very much involved in the church and I was as far away from the church as one could possibly be. But Jennifer and her family accepted me just as I was with no pressure whatsoever to change or conform to their standards. They just accepted and loved on me.
I remember meeting them at their house for lunch on Sunday afternoon after they had gone to church and I had not. Still no pressure from them to join them but I saw something different in her family that I had never experienced before. It was a love that I just couldn’t put my finger on.
The more my relationship grew with Jennifer, the more time I wanted to spend with her and that meant church. I started meeting them at church on Sunday morning services only. Then it progressed to Sunday School before service too. Then it was Sunday night service and finally Wednesday night service as well. Still I was never pressured by Jennifer or her family to go but the more often I went the more my eyes were opened to my need for a Savior.
I don’t remember the exact day, but it was during the Christmas season, and I was laying in my bed one night and it hit me like a ton of bricks. If I were to die tonight, I would have to spend my eternity paying for my own sins in a place called hell. The message was clear: I needed someone who had already paid for my sins at the Cross of Calvary and His name was Jesus Christ. That night, laying in my bed, I accepted Christ’s death on the Cross as payment for my sins and cried out to Him to save me from the punishment of my sins that He had already paid for.
That night I got “saved”. All I had to do was put my faith in what He did and that it was sufficient for my sins (it is!). Praise God my eternity is sealed in heaven.
I am forever grateful to my wife and her family for being the example of what loving Christ means in a nonjudgmental and loving way. It was them leading me to Christ instead of pushing me to Him that I am thankful for. They patiently waited on me “to come to myself”, like the prodigal son, and see my need without pressure. Thank you! I can never repay you for praying for me.
I was now saved and a born-again Christian, but that didn’t mean life automatically became perfect. I’ll tell you about my rough start to this thing called Christianity tomorrow.
Have a great day and God bless.
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