I have to date lived for 51 years, and of all of the things that have ever happened in my life, meeting Jesus as my Lord and savior was the most important thing that ever happened to me, for that determined not only my happiness in this life, but where I would spend eternity.

Now, this is how it happened: I was a happy little girl and was fortunate to have a wonderful family who loved me. I was raised in the Jewish religion, and was made to go every week to Sunday school at the synagogue as well as Friday night services with the family sometimes.

In eighth grade my teacher told me he didn’t know what to do with me because I failed all the tests, I didn’t know anything. Well, I didn’t want to know anything. It was boring, a bunch of stories in books that had nothing to do with me. And God, what was he? Or it, or whatever? I was a confirmed atheist as a teen and realized that I had been before then.

When I was about 8, I would lay in bed at night trying to be still practicing to be a “rock” which I had decided I would be after I die, and just lay there. I would practice this little game and then cry, unable to handle this “truth.” I never told anyone about it. I went through high school as many seem to, a normal teenager who got good grades when I wanted to.

Then I started college, wanting to be a psychologist. You could get drugs easier than you could get ice-cream at the college, and there was a pub with beer at night. I started on both, and there was a thrill there, like I had found something. It was so deceptive as I didn’t know the negative consequences of doing such a thing. I ended up smoking pot every day before class, and other times, filling so many voids that I had, one of being a blind person not accepted by the crowds, and one I believe was the empty spiritual void which I had but didn’t know it.

About two and a half months into the semester, two girls came knocking on my door on a Sunday evening. They were friendly, but it didn’t take long for them to “get religious” on me. I was very annoyed at this, and planned on getting rid of them promptly. I hated religion and people who thought they knew they were going to heaven. They were fools, I thought. Why couldn’t they face the truth as I had that there was no heaven, hell, or God?

Well these girls, Janet and Karen, started questioning me about religion. I told them off pretty well, I thought. But they wanted to come back again. What were they gluttons for punishment, crazy, I didn’t know but I thought I could entertain them and at least they seemed to like me, I needed some friends at that time.

They came the next Sunday, and the following one. This Sunday, the third, was the one where I was going to get rid of them once and for all, be mean if necessary, put them in their place, and show them the truth about no God no nothing. Yes they would have to hear it all and leave. I told them when they came that this would be the last night, and that I had invented a new religion. They just calmly said they would like to just stay for a few minutes.

We talked a bit about this Jesus that meant so much to them. I thought we would have to end the discussion. They asked if I could just pray with them before they left. I figured I’d sit through some meaningless words and they would leave. I don’t know what was said. One of them spoke. Something happened that I will never forget. I felt something, I mean not anything minor. I felt what had to be God, in the room, everywhere in the room. I started to cry. I wasn’t sure why, it was just so intense.

One of them asked if I would like to accept Jesus now as my savior. I found myself saying “yes, yes, yes” and tears were streaming down my face, and the Spirit was filling me, inside, a new life, a new being, and unheard-of thing was happening to me. They prayed and I agreed with them, but the only word I remember saying was “yes.” I also said “You are Real, you are real!” My first real prayer in my whole life. I hugged my new friends and asked them to please keep coming back, and thanking them for introducing me to Jesus.

It was so special, and it has been 33 years since that time. I remember it like it was yesterday.

What happened after that was I left that college after the end of the year. I felt that God was calling me to a Christian college. He sure was, and I graduated 3 years later with a degree in religion. After that I raised a family, and certainly not without trials and temptations. At times I sinned and was much less than I should have been. At times I walked closely with the Lord. But through the years I believe he has showed me a close walk with him, a desire to read his word, and Christians there when I needed them.

Many Christians have different types of experiences getting saved, and some say there was nothing about it that they could feel. I will tell you one thing: it is not what you experienced or felt like at the time of salvation but the fact that you have the God of the universe by your side, and if you continue to walk with him, you have a place in heaven, eternal life.

No we don’t lay there like a rock, Jesus is the rock, and he will take us past that door of death to an eternity of wonderful living. You see, his death on the cross is the thing that makes him able to forgive all of our sins, and his resurrection, being alive forever, enables him to give us life everlasting. If someone reading this hasn’t found Jesus yet, please do while there is still time, as He is coming back soon.

Vicki Breffe pyle@comcast.net