The day I met Jesus

A young girl discovers Jesus

The day I met Jesus
By
Robin-Lynn MacNeil

It is the eternal question most People have asked for thousands of years… Is Jesus real?… If he is how do you know? I am not what I would call a religious person but I am defiantly a Christian and have been since I was twelve years old. I am not fanatical nor do I go to church on a regular basis. I can only say that I know what I know and I saw what I saw.

Church and religion were never observed or even talked about except for summer vacation bible school when we were allowed to go with the neighbor kids. This was mostly just to get us kids out of mom and dads hair for a couple of hours a day for a week or so. For me it was also a way for me to escape the cruel loneliness that I endured not only at the hands of my parents but also at the hands of my siblings.
The only friend that I was allowed to have was Kathy the girl that lived next door. Her house was where I spent as much time as I could. It was a place where I felt a sense love and family. I remember it being a peaceful loving home… I would sometimes beg Kathy to help me fabricate a reason to stay as long as i could before i had to go home. Kathy’s house was safe… it was a place where I could pretend that I belonged. After thirty plus years I still thank Kathy for inviting me to bible school that summer and introducing me to a man named
Jesus.
My childhood was not a happy one, I was the middle of three children growing up in rural Maine with alcoholic parents some might even say that it was abusive. It was not uncommon to wake up in the middle of the night and listen to my mother standing over my passed out father with a frying pan in her hand threatening him as she screamed at us kids to get in the car because we were leaving…Once again my sister,little brother and I would go back upstairs and get the small bags that we all kept secretly packed and hidden in the back of our closets, drag them down the stairs and out to the car where the three of us would huddle in the back seat until mom either cooled off and came to get us or passed out along side of dad. Either way we knew that once again it was going to be a long night.

Vacation Bible School had ended the day before and everyone who attended were invited to go to church on Sunday where there was a little graduation type ceremony all of the kids. I woke up early excited to go to church with Kathy… But in my excitement I woke up my parents… While I don’t remember the exact reasons that I got the wrath of dad and his belt and then sent to my room that morning but I am glad it happened because it changed the course of my life.

It was a dark dreary overcast day that Sunday morning and my excitement had quickly turned to utter despair and sadness. From behind my locked door I could hear my siblings laughing as they closed the car door. I held my breath until I could no longer hear Kathy’s moms car as it drove away into the distance before burying my head in my pillow. I couldn’t understand why I had to stay home while the others got to go. What had I done this time that was so bad that I was the only one being punished again. Dad said it was because I was making too much noise.

I cried until the well of tears dried and I could no longer cry. I couldn’t understand why I always got into trouble and the other two always got off Scott free. I finally got up off my bed and went to the window. As I starred at the rain I began to think about what I had learned in bible school the week before. Although I didn’t know if Jesus truly was real I figured that praying wouldn’t hurt if I only knew how to pray. I didn’t know if God would even hear me because I was just a kid but I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.

I began by saying… Jesus… if you are real please show me because I need you in my life… As I poured my heart out to God I watched the sky as a hole opened up in the clouds. It was the most beautiful blue I had ever seen… Suddenly a face appeared in the blue space and I heard a voice that was so loud yet as soft as a whisper tell me “do not worry… Everything will be okay”.

I turned quickly to see if there was anyone else in my room but the door was still locked. When I looked back out at the clouds the face was gone but a peace settled inside of me that remains with me still today. The face I saw that day did not look like the images that we associate with Jesus but I knew who he was. while some people would simply dismiss this as the imagination of a child. doesn’t the bible tell us we must come to him with the faith of a child? It is with childlike faith that I still follow him today. Although i endured several more years in that house my life was forever changed that day, and I know that no matter what happens in my life I will be okay.

Reviews

[Jessica Weed]

Oh my goodness, that is wonderful!!!

[MJReed]

Nice testimony there.
Props to you for posting it on here.
I've not seen much in the way of religious content here.

-MJR