The Day (s) I Met Jesus

 I remember asking the Lord into my heart at age 7. I didn't have any great epiphany or anything significant like that..I have just always been a logical person..It made sense to me that if my two options were Heaven, where angels sang and we danced, feasted, and worshiped God all day and night for eternity, or--well, the "Other" place...it just seemed like a no-brainier. My parents made a big deal about it, even getting our pastor (who was a friend) come to the house to walk me through the sinner's prayer (I actually probably did have a laundry list of sins by that time...I am the oldest child after all) 

But I? Just wanted to go to sleep that night knowing that if a fire came and burned everything up (I also had a severe fear of fire at that age- Thank you Back Draft) that I would get to go to the place with all the gold, and the singing, and the happiness...instead of more fire.... 

Logical, right? 
 

I am just being honest with you guys...That truly is what it boiled down to for me =)

So, life goes on, and I progressively become more and more of a perfectionist as it does, and due to that ailment, never REALLY got into trouble. I went to church (a Methodist Church in B-ville--Shout out to all my MCJammers out there), even went through confirmation and was an acolyte on Sundays...it just wasn't personal. I was a perfectionist, and simply out of my desire to be perfect...I knew what to do. Say your prayers every night (Typically the Lord's Prayer- John Wesley would have been proud); Go to church twice a week (Three times if there was a special Sunday evening service); NEVER miss Communion Sunday (5th Sunday special); and do everything the Bible said (I specifically remember "no cussing" and "say no to drugs" being preached in Sunday school)..but looking back I have to say that I was a "good girl" for all the wrong reasons. God was a good concept, I liked the idea of this eternal being who would answer my prayers to make  &$%*#!  my boyfriend, help me pass the test I barely studied for (If we are being completely honest, I still did this even after my second conversion...I think it's just human nature to bargain with God) and keep me happy and well-liked at school. But anything deeper? Nah...not yet anyways.

The year was 1996. I was in 8th grade (Sorry Rene...it is what it is). That's the first time I really remember having an epiphany. I had spent the night with my BFF Courtney, and her church was in a revival, with none other than Ap. Jack Richey (the Ap. part wasn't identified yet, but the guy was the same). I actually remember how it felt to walk into the church. I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know if it was different than my other "church", if the people were crazy (yep), or anything besides Courtney telling me they spoke in tongues right before we got there. I didn't know what that was, so it was kind of a non-issue for me. So, as I walked in the door, I felt the presence of God so strong that I literally stopped in my tracks, right there in the foyer/hallway.  I looked around...nobody else had just been hit in the face by a freight train...in fact, nobody else seemed to realize what was in the room at all...I mean, didn't they know?!?! This was HUGE...I had to tell someone...

"Courtney, God is actually HERE, I mean, like, I can really feel him!" ...

"Of course God is here. Where else would he be?"...

"You mean, this is NORMAL?"....

Yeah, Ashley. This is normal..."  

Well that was it. I was sold. I jumped in (literally, another story though) and never looked back....and one thing about me that has never changed. I give 150% all the time....I had a real reason to live "good", now...I had had an actual encounter with God, and I was going to do everything I could to have that experience all the time. I was a Jesus junkie, from that moment on. And that wasn't the last time I encountered him either. He continued to show himself to me in new (and unusual) ways throughout my high school career. I went to college...and God was, thankfully, still there (whew... would have been bad news if I had had to stay at GFCC for the rest of my life just to hang around God)...and through all the different seasons in my walk with him, after each new thing I learn about him, I realize I still know nothing about him, and I still long to know "nothing" more and more every day. I WANT to be known as a lunatic.... 

So when people ask me when I was saved I am torn between two dates. The day I was saved(you remember, the one that kept me out of Hell)- Or the day I was Soul-ed out (Never looking back, zealously seeking the Lord, --first one in the river, even if I have to knock you down to get there--throw back to the good ol' Brownsville days). At this point, it really doesn't matter. All that matters is that I go after him as hard TODAY as I did on that day in 1996. 

That day, that church...truly changed my life. Who knows, maybe I wouldn't be using my powers for good without them =) Thanks Court for being courageous enough to invite me to a totally crazy church, forsaking all "coolness" to go after God. We can be crazy, together! 


For now, my motto (and someday hopefully my legacy) is to be one who runs her race with the convictions of Paul and the heart of David.