As far back as I can recall, my parents have been anti religious. They consider themselves atheist. Interestingly enough, I’ve always found it easy to believe in a God with ultimate power. Creating intricacies such as the universe and the human body which has the ability to sustain and bring forth life! Who else could do such marvelous work other than a God I often wondered.
However, my father believed that it was a person’s lack of motivation and self worth that made them believe in a God who could bring about a better future. He said those who believed in God were content to sit back and wait on their imaginary God to make things happen. Instead of going out taking life by the horns! Like him who was a go getter and acquired all he had in life on his own strength! “Now hallelujah that!” He would always say.
So because religion had never been part of my life aside from my parents occasional heated dialogue regarding these poor misguided religious fanatics. I had no reason to care one way or the other. Not until my freshman year when students on campus held a prayer vigil for a missing student who happened to be my dorm mate.
When I attended the vigil I started to look at things a little differently. These people didn’t seem fanatical at all.They weren’t waving bibles around and speaking in strange tongues. And the prayers were actually very nice and comforting even to me! Especially since everyone was hoping against hope or I guess praying would be more accurate my dorm mate would be found alive.
Over the next several days the Christians kept the vigils going and offered words of comfort to everyone! Still no bible thumping or strange tongues.
In fact, they offered special prayers to their God on behalf of me her dorm mate! They said if I wanted someone to pray with they were there for me. I assured them I wouldn’t require prayer but I might want to talk. There was no judgement or self righteous holier than thou attitude. Just support!
Unlike my folks who toot their horns every chance they get about not relying on anyone but themselves!
To my surprise, the Christians weren’t just standing by waiting on their God to work a miracle. Students were organizing events to raise reward money. Others were posting pictures in the surrounding towns.
On a particularly stressful day when my dorm mate’s abandoned car was found, one of the Christians called and asked if I needed to talk. It said a lot about her character that she said talk and not pray. She showed respect to me in spite of my belief system or I guess lack of.
I again started to wonder if it wasn’t my parents who were the fanatics?
Days stretched into weeks and weeks into a month when my dorm mate’s body was discovered. She had been murdered! I immediately wondered how I was going to get through this. How would her family and the people who knew and loved her were going to cope?
My parents phoned wanting to know if I was ok and if I needed to come home to talk things out. I told them I thought I needed to stay at the school and offer support to the other students and friends of my dorm mate. My mom said “of course dear.” “Call if you need to talk!”
As soon as I ended that call my phone rang again and it was one of the Christian students asking if I had heard the news. She said she was sending out a message to the student population to gather in the student lounge for prayer and hoped I would join.
Of course was my response! I felt the need to be around people and at this point felt the need for the softly spoken words of comfort that came by way of prayer.
There were hundreds of students gathered in the student lounge and in the adjoining garden! The head of the Christian student group spoke about the tragic news and then began to pray.
As the prayer intensified I started to feel a strong but comforting presence. Before long the presence started to overwhelm the atmosphere and me! I looked around to see if anyone else appeared to notice. Students had their hands up as if reaching to be embraced by or caught up by the presence. Obviously I wasn’t the only one who was experiencing the phenomenon!
When things wrapped up the student leader found me in the dispersing crowd. She gave me a hug that scared and seemed to ignite me at the same time! The presence seemed to have almost consumed her entire being. As she loosened her embrace of me with hands on my shoulders she looked at me and asked if I was ok. I told her that I felt an overwhelming presence during the vigil and during her embraced. She smiled and said “that presence you are experiencing is the Holy Spirit of the Living God Jesus Christ!
I was floored! I looked at her in shock and awe! She laughed and said “you have just been in the presence of the Savior of the world!” Then she said with a serious tone “the experiences you’ve had this past month has opened the eyes of your heart.” “God is reaching out to you!” She then asked if she could pray with me.
I said yes! I believed what she was saying to me because I indeed felt this presence, something I’ve never experienced before.
She told me after she prayed the prayer of salvation with me that this was only the beginning. She said the Lord was so much more than what I just witnessed and felt at the vigil!
She explained I now had to do my part and learn of Him.
Back in my room I was still very much aware of the presence that overwhelmed the atmosphere during the vigil. I decided to call my parents and make plans to go home in a few weeks. I needed to share with them my experience!
I must admit that the thought of my parent’s reaction has me a little concerned. However, I now know the Lord God to be real! So I plan to stand firmly on this come what may!
As I said at the beginning of my story, I found it easier to believe in a God creating mankind than just some cosmic coincidence. I guess the Lord God must have believed in me! Believed that one day I would make the right decision and so planted that seed of faith.
I’m really looking forward to joining the group for bible study! It’s hard to explain but I’m sure those of you who are saved will understand. Understand when I say, I Thirst!
Thirst for knowledge and understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ! And I can’t wait to quench my thirst!