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Out of the Darkness:
The Best Gift
by Michelle J., Age 16
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I never really understood what it meant to accept Christ into your heart. I thought you got to heaven by being a good person and helping others. I thought you were saved when you were baptized. I attended church as a child, but one day we stopped going to church all together. Church was boring to me anyway, so it didn't bother me much.
When I was 14 we moved into a new neighborhood and some kids my age lived next door. They were pretty cool. One Wednesday I was hanging out with them and they invited me to church with them. I had nothing better to do so I went. When I got there I was kind of nervous, but the youth minister welcomed me and he was really nice. The service was fun, so the next Sunday I decided to go back.
The youth minister started talking about accepting Christ. I thought I was saved, but something inside of me said that I wasn't. To be honest, I didn't know what being saved was all about. I lived in denial. I kept saying to myself that I was saved. I continued thinking this way until I attended a weekend retreat. I was having a lot of fun until the bible study. We were given sheets with questions on them. One question asked, "What was it like before you were saved?" I thought, "Huh?". How could I remember what it was like? I was a baby when I baptized. Then I knew something didn't add up.
Even this didn't register until I went to a play called Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames. I realized I wasn't saved after I watched the play. An invitation was given and I accepted Christ. I was scared when I went up there, not sure of what to do. I prayed and told God that I accepted him into my life. Afterwards, we spoke with a man who explained salvation and what had taken place. As he explained it, I had the most amazing feeling. My sister describes it as a weight lifted. I felt so free and loved.
I was on fire for God, but it wasn't easy. My parents didn't support me going to church. They wanted me to follow their faith. I couldn't go back to something I knew nothing about. They were offended that I went to my church. I tried to explain that it had nothing to do with a denomination. I learned more there than I have anywhere else.
To this day I wonder what my life would be like if I weren't saved. I think I would be miserable and lost. My parents still don't agree with my decision. It's really hard being a Christian and not knowing where your parents stand. It's hard not having your parents in church with you, but the only thing I can do is pray.
I fall short and I don't always spend time with God, but I thank him everyday for allowing me to be a part of him. When I accepted Christ my life was turned upside down--in a good way. I was given a new set of eyes. It says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore for the old life is gone and a new one has begun."
If someone were to ask me about the best gift I could receive, I would have to say accepting Christ beats any gift I've ever been given.
Copyright, Michelle J., 2002 – Do not publish this story on a web site or in a publication or newsletter w/o permission of the author.
Do you want to share your story? Do you have comments on Michelle's story? Send it to eller@intellex.com or tseller@daretobelieve.org.
Real Teens, Real Stories, Real Life newsletter: Copyright 2001, 2002, Real Teens, Real Stories, Real Life, T. Suzanne Eller, Dare To Believe. Permission must be granted to reprint any item in any form. Please feel free to send the newsletter in its entirety to your friends. The stories and poems should not be added to a web site without permission of T. Suzanne Eller or the individual author.
Crosshome.com is a mirrored site and has permission to publish this newsletter for teens.
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