How I Met Jesus

When I was in kindergarten, I went to live with my Grandparents for the school year, I was in Kindergarten. My father was an only child and my mother felt like it was a great opportunity for me to get to know him better. They had gotten a divorce when I was 8 months old.

I loved my Grandparents a lot. My grandfather made me a special seat to boost me up in the car. He let me help him water the several fig trees that were growing in their large backyard. We made and ate Rootbeer Floats for dessert almost every night. One of my favorite memories of him was of me tightening the toothpaste lid just so I could take it to him. I loved to watch him "struggle" to get it off for me. It was our little game.

Looking back, I know that my grandmother was the most influential person in my life. She taught me in 1 year more than I ever remember learning from anyone. I learned how to peel carrots, how to print my 'R's to look like 'R's and not like 'V's. She taught me how to dry drinking glasses, how to crochet, and the importance of making sure my undies were changed each day. She taught me "1,2 .. Buckle My Shoe", "The Ants Go Marching In" song but most importantly she taught me about prayer. I remember praying for my family and friends on bended knee next to our beds before going to sleep. I remember once, she lost a sewing needle and we prayed together that she would find it. She did!!! I will never forget the many stories my Grandmother told me about how God had been working in her life.

After my year with them, I went to go live with my Mother, younger brother and my new stepdaddy. Through the years that followed, I continued to attend church off and on. My parents did not attend church, so I usually attended alone. I always believed in God, I knew He was real, but that was about as far as my knowledge of Him went.

In Junior High, I became very good friends with a wonderful girl. We spent a lot of time together. Then she started going to church and wanted me to attend with her. I went a few times, but more times than not, I had excuses of why I could not go. When I began High School, I started attending the youth group with her. I liked the fun everyone was having. They played games and talked about how the Bible could help them with the problems they had in their lives. I was not a regular attendee and continued to make up reasons why I could not go. One day my friend, Michele, told me they were going to be showing a movie at church. I agreed to go. I was deeply touched at by the message. I had felt drawn to Jesus but had been unable to make a decision allowing him in my life . After the movie was over, there was an invitation to talk to someone about accepting Jesus. I made the decision to ask Jesus to become my personal savior and to be Lord of my life.

That night I acknowledged that God sent His one and only Son to this world to be a sacrifice for my sin, that if I believed He died on the cross and rose again the 3rd day, I would forever and ever be forgiven. I would never have to pay an eternal price for the things I did or was going to do, Jesus had already done it for me. My eternal home was going to be in Heaven with other believers. I prayed to Jesus asking Him to come into my life and from that moment on, He began the process of taking away the old and creating the new. I now give my all to Him. My prayer is that each and every single person who reads this will be touched by the Holy Spirit to make the same decision I made in 1980. That you will understand the full depth of Gods love for you.

Want to know more about how to know God?

God Bless You,

Tina Marie