What was life like before you met Jesus?
I wasn’t brought up religiously and my parents are of different religions, yet despite this, I had always viewed the bible as this big book of bedtime stories or a blubber of history. Yet, when I got saved all of that changed.
How did you meet Jesus?
I was saved on Wednesday, October 5th, at Veritas, ironically enough I was born on a Wednesday too, born and reborn in the name of Christ. To say God knew what he was doing was an understatement!
My favorite song is Hallelujah written by Lenord Cohen, and remastered by Rufus Wainwright. Throughout the song, he states, “love is not a victory march it is a cold and broken hallelujah.” I’d like to ask you to understand this verse so you can make sense of my journey so far with Christ. It hasn’t been easy, and it sure hasn’t been a victory march, but rather a battle between myself, sin, and the Holy Spirit.
Many of you might think “Well you're so young, so how do you know you have been saved?”. I know because the “The holy dark was moving too, And every breath we drew was Hallelujah.'' Through preacher Taylor on that Wednesday night, God was speaking to me, the message, my desire to get baptized, but knowing it wasn’t time, and then these words were said “Their sins were washed from scarlet”, and at that moment I knew I had been saved by Christ. I couldn't stop smiling, and I felt this overwhelming feeling of joy like there was a fire inside me and I had become a firework for Jesus.
After being saved by Jesus, what is your life like now?
I’ll admit there was some uncertainty and nervousness but shortly in the weeks following, I gained more signs that I was saved that night. First, I hadn’t brought it up and our connection was talking about being saved and how you would know. Secondly, my Momma Jo was listening to a sermon in the kitchen and it was talking about the same message I got saved during, and the preacher said the same thing I had said when I was asked how I knew I’d been saved. I said I knew that “Jesus would wash my feet.” He would serve me as he’d done for his disciples by putting their needs before his own. Which is the moment I stopped living for myself and started living for God. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean wearing my cross necklace on youth nights, but instead, it means carrying that cross just as our Savior has done. It also doesn’t mean showing up just to satisfy what I believe is God's need for my participation. Let today wash away my stains of scarlet sin, and turn them white- but let today serve as the day. So as I get baptized let this be a promise that I will lay my life down for Jesus because that is what he has done for me.