I grew up in a home where my parents were separated. We did not go to church. With a 7 year gap between me and my older two brothers and sister, I was "the baby" and took full advantage of that status. I was very selfish, and often threw tantrums to get what I wanted.
When I was 8 years old, a minister came to our house and talked to me. He told me that when someone dies, they go to one of two places: heaven or hell. He told me that if I wanted to go to heaven some day, I would need to be forgiven of all the things I had done wrong. The minister then told me about Jesus Christ. He told me Jesus Christ is God's son, He came to live as a man, He died to pay the price for the things I had done wrong, and then came back to life 3 days later. The minister helped me to pray, and I asked Jesus to forgive me and come into my life. While my eyes were closed and I was saying my prayer aloud, I distinctly remember a feeling like I was floating.
As a young boy and teenager, my life was pretty much unaffected by my decision. I got a Bible, but had a hard time reading or understanding it. I went to church a few times, but it was a scary place to me. I felt out of place, and the people said a lot of things that I did not understand. Most preachers were very loud and frightening. However, I continued to trust that God was always around even if I couldn't see Him, and times when I really hurting, confused, or wanting something, I would pray and ask Jesus for help.
By the time I was 17, I had made a lot of bad decisions. God certainly wasn't a priority in my life. I had a friend that was also struggling with a lot of very bad decisions, and told me he was thinking of killing himself. I went home that night, got my Bible that I hadn't opened since I was 8 years old, and began reading. I remember my mom telling me a good place to start would be the books about the life of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The more I read, the more excited I became about what I was learning. By the time I finished reading Matthew, I was convinced I should change the way I was living. I made the decision to devote my life to God, and I prayed and asked Jesus to help me become a better person. I was able to help my friend with his struggle with suicide, but in the process I was the one that was changed.
My life since then has been far from perfect. I've continued to make a lot of mistakes, and there have been times when I've turned my back on God to do things I knew were wrong. What is so amazing is that God loves me no matter how many times I mess up, and He is always there for me when I turn to Him. I can look back over my life, and clearly see how God has taken care of me and my family, through the good and bad times, and in spite of my mistakes. Because of my relationship with Jesus Christ, I now have peace, joy, and hope for the future no matter what my circumstances are.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If you were to die today, do you know for sure that you would go to heaven? Would you like to learn more about Jesus Christ? Billy Graham has written Steps to Peace with God, a short and very easy-to-understand explanation of who Jesus is and what God wants for your life right now. This is not simply Billy Graham's opinion, but what the Bible says about these things.