Easter and My "Rescue Story"
I was raised in a Christian home. I remember going to Church as a young child. We attended Methodist and Lutheran Churches. My parents divorced when I was 9. Our Lutheran Church Excommunicated them. (kicked them out) After several months I moved from mom's house to dad's. I needed to be with my brother Keith. We could not bear to be parted.
Papa, Keith, and I began attending a local Lutheran Church and attended Sunday school and Sunday morning services.
Confirmation classes were 2 yrs. long and we met through the school year 2 nights a week. During these classes I had lots of questions, but never voiced any of them. By the end of the classes I knew all the right answers to the questions that would be asked of my on Confirmation Day.
We all passed and the questions I didn't ask still lingered.
I understood that I had to ask forgiveness each sin everyday. What if I forgot one, or didn't even know what I was doing wrong. I was taught that if you died, you had to hope God was in a good mood that day. That your "good deeds" outweighed the "bad deeds" that we could never know for sure if we were being good enough.
I decided over the course of a year or two that I could never be good enough for God. Ever. So I might as well forget about the Church thing and enjoy what I could of this life, because I was never going to be good enough for God or for Heaven.
Years passed, I met my husband and we got custody of his youngest daughter. One day in Aug. of 1982 our neighbor asked if Susan could join her daughter at Eastgate Baptist Church for Vacation Bible School. The Church had a bus and it would pick the girls up and bring them home. I said Yes for 2 reasons. First because every kid needs to know about God. and second, maybe this would give me some good points with God. At the very least He would know I was trying.
At the end of that week I attended "Family Night". I met her teachers, saw her room, and watched the kids program. The next day I got a visit from 2 of her teachers inviting her to attend Sunday School. They were very nice. They even said the bus could pick her up. I told them I'd think about it.
Wow, more points to the good if I let her attend Sunday School, and we all know every kid needs to go to Sunday School.
I didn't want her riding the bus, I'd take her. I'd heard some weird things about Baptist churches and I didn't want to just send her off without seeing exactly what was going to happen. That next Sunday I was greeted, shown her classroom and teachers. I was then told if I wanted to stay, there was a Ladies Bible study class just down the hall. I didn't own a dress, so I was in my regular everyday jeans and T-shirt garb. I was told not to worry. I could stay and join the class. I stayed, just in case the kid needed me. I liked the discussion, and I liked that no one appeared to be judging me.
We kept going to Sunday school and attended the morning Worship Service. We attended wed. nights too. I kept hearing that preacher talk about how we "could know" when we died we would be going to Heaven. I had so many thoughts. Thoughts like "what a looney tune" "what kind of pot is he smoking", "I wonder if I can get some of that Pot".. "What if what he's saying is true". It can't be, but what if it is?
We attended Church on and off through Oct. Then it happened. Without my knowing Oct. 31st that year my world would be torn apart. A storm like none I'd ever seen would come smashing through my life and I would need Rescue.
That Fall day in 1982 I received a call from the Hospital that my brother Keith had been in a boating accident and I to come right away. I headed for my Dad's and picked him up. I tried to steady my heart and breath. It sounded bad. I needed to be ready for him to be disfigured, or in a coma, or in ICU. I didn't know at that moment how much I would soon need rescue..
To make a horrible story short, Keith had drowned in a gravel pit while fishing with friends. He left the capsized boat to get help. He never made it to the shore. He was gone. Forever Gone. Dead.
I felt like I was drowning. Ken had arrived at he hospital and we sat in the Chapel while each family member was told. I was drowning. He can't be dead. he's only 24. He just had his birthday. He just had a baby. I was drowning.
As the next few days went by I could only think one thing clearly. That preacher saying "You can know when you die, you'll be going to Heaven. Could I really know. Oh man I wanted to know I could be where Keith was. I had to know. Oh No.. God was never going to accept me. I wasn't good enough. I knew that for years. If Keith could die I could die. Oh God I can't live not knowing.
I recalled other scripture and things the Preacher and teachers had said. Things like God loved me. He sent Jesus to Die for me. If I'd been the only person in the world Jesus would have come to die for me and my sin. I didn't have to be good enough. I didn't have to know everything about it. I knew I was drowning and I knew I needed rescue.
Late one night a day or two after the accident I started praying. I told God how I didn't understand everything I had heard, but that I wanted to know that when I died I would be in Heaven with Keith. I was so sorry for all the sins, for all the wrong things I had done. I asked God to forgive me. I wanted Jesus in my heart and in my life. I wanted the Peace that Preacher talked about. I prayed right there and asked Jesus into my heart and life.
The life ring had been thrown out to me, and I wasn't about to let go.
My heart changed that very moment. I would soon come to learn that MY Rescue had been planned on that First Easter long ago. Jesus had died for the sins of the world on the Cross. But better still He had Risen from the dead, and Lives. Honestly our Rescue Story began before that. Back in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. God had a plan to redeem all of mankind from sin and death. He would send His only Son Jesus to save us from our sin.
I wish I could show you my heart before that night. Black with sin and death. Giving in to all temptation, miserable, rejected, lost, broken, and a million other things. Now living a New life in Christ and His forgiveness. I still struggle, I still fail, but now I talk to my Rescuer. I call out to Him.
My heart has been heavy these last few weeks. As I see sickness and death all around me. I also see God's love and mercy shown over and over in many different people. I feel a peace that I can't understand or explain. I live with Joy every day because I am free from the burdens and chains of sin that once held me tight.
I'm praying for you dear reader. Right here Right now. If you don't know when you die you are going to go to Heaven. You can know. You don't have to be good enough, or brave enough, or strong enough. You only have to admit you are a sinner and have done wrong things. You have to Believe that Jesus is God's Son, that He died for your sins on the Cross, and that He has Risen from the dead. You then confess that Jesus is the Lord of your life. When you do these things you will have the Peace that comes from following Jesus Christ.
If you're at a place where you need to talk some more about Jesus, or what it means to follow Him. If you have more questions you can contact Eastgate Baptist Church in Burton MI. https://www.eastgatebaptist.org or myself.
I would love to walk beside you in your Faith Journey.
Share your rescue story with me. God Bless you friend.
#JesusChangedMyLife@Eastgatebc
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