My Spiritual Journey
Penned by John Newton, the song Amazing Grace proclaims a grace so powerful that Newton was totally changed. He was transformed from a greedy trafficer of humans--blinded to suffering around him on his slave ships--into a repentent priest who loved others and worked to abolish slavery in England.
I, too, by God's grace, have been delivered and transformed. The weight of my sin brought me to depression in my mid-twenties. I knew about Jesus at the time. I had even walked down the aisle of my hometown Baptist church and was baptised at age nine. However, I only saw Jesus as my Savior, not the Lord of my life. When I went through depression I knew the root of my problem was spiritual. I now thank God for the dark time in my life that ultimately brought me to the Light of His love! My short story loosely based on that experience can be viewed at http://www.faithwriters.com/member-profile.php?id=32257.
The character in my short story was wise enough to quickly grasp the concept of a life surrendered to our Creator for His glory. In my personal story the process took much longer. I went along in life as a professing but spiritually immature Christian for many years. In the late 1980's I experienced an event that I recall now as being "awakened" by God... as if He clapped His hands in front of my face and said, "Wake up! It's time to get started on business of vital importance." I prayed and read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. My life was totally transformed in wonderful ways.
Words describing an experience can never measure up to reality. I can tell you about my trip to Paris in 2001, but that could never equal actually visiting the museums, restaurants, and chocolate shops. Knowing the God of the univererse is something that must be lived to be fully understood. For every step of faith in Christ I have taken, the Lord has faithfully led me and confirmed the Truth of His Word. Consider this your invitation to drink from the Living Water and never thirst again! He is the Truth we all seek!
I spent years of my life with a peculiar longing in my heart. My family lived in modest government housing, but I had friends who lived in an upscale neighborhood nearby. When I would return home from my visits with them, my route would lead me to the back door of our home. While walking alone in the cold, my eyes would be fixed on the door--I knew that inside that door I would find warmth, love, food, and shelter. The longing in my heart, however, would not be satisfied until years later when I learned that the Door that leads to God's heavenly home is Jesus, the Christ, our Messiah. Our sin separates us from God, but Jesus gave His life that we might enter in. Our pride tells us we don't need God but that is a lie--that is why God hates pride! Please do not let pride keep you from your Heavenly home with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
