Defining Moments in My Life (Part 1)

All of us have some significant moments or events that define our lives. Here are the first 3  of mine.

My parents divorce – I was 6 years old. I was living in Columbia, SC. When my folks split up my Mom moved my brother and I 60 miles away to the town of Aiken, SC. This had several repercussions upon my life. 1) Columbia was where the Jewish roots of my family was located. By moving away it essentially guaranteed that I would not be raised Jewish. 2) It meant also that I would be raised without the influence of a father. Both of these were very significant.

An invitation to church – When I was in the 9th grade my best friend and next door neighbor invited me go with him to his church youth group. The appeal was that the group was doing fun things like going on beach trips and places like Six Flags. There was also a girl that went to the group that I liked. So I started going and found out that I enjoyed it. Thus began my learning about what Christianity was all about. Never underestimate the power of a simple invitation or how God might use it.

My decision to become a Christian – I was 16 years old. I had been confronted with the gospel. I understood that  my sinfulness had separated me from the God who created me. I understood that God had sent His Son Jesus to pay the price that my sin demanded so that reconciliation could take place. I understood that not only had Jesus died so that I might live but that He rose from the dead to prove that He had the power to forgive sin and to offer eternal life to those who were committed to Him.  I understood that I needed to express my commitment through an act of faith that would demonstrate my confidence and trust in Him. So I prayed and told God of my neediness and asked Him to rescue me from my own sin and to restore me to a right relationship with Him. Even though I did not understand all that this meant at the time, it would prove to be THE most defining moment in my life.

The next 3 or 4 will follow in a later post.