A Spiritual Milestone

Today I am rejoicing over my daughter and thanking God for her choice to ask Jesus to be her personal Savior, now 14 years ago.

It was on MLK Day and we were driving home from a Cub Scout event that my son had attended.  We were discussing why we remember MLK each year , what he stood for and how he was a man who loved God and loved others.  It seemed to really strike a chord within my daughter and she began asking me why someone would kill a man who loved Jesus, wanted freedom and equality for others and what happened to Dr. king after he died.  After answering all of her questions we talked more about how Jesus died on the cross for ALL of our sins and made it possible for us to spend eternity in heaven with Him one day.  After that, she was quiet the rest of the car ride home.  Later, when we getting ready to say her prayers before bed, she looked me in the eye and said she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart FOREVER!  We knelt together right then and there and she asked Jesus to be her LORD and Savior!  As soon as we opened our eyes, her smile was a mile wide and she squealed with joy!  It was a moment I will never forget.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;  the old has gone, the new has come!" ~ 2 Cor. 5:17

From that day forward, I have to say that she was a new person.  Her fears were not nearly as consuming, her obedience was much swifter, and her tenderness toward God and the suffering of others was much greater.  Fast forward to today......I have seen God grow her over the years, into such a lovely servant of Christ.  She longs to be authentic and relevant to a hurting world that questions whether or not Christians really do love the lost like Jesus did.  She has a fierce motivation to do God's will and be an inspiration to others.  She is still very moved by human suffering.  In fact, she is making plans to head to Africa this summer to be a part of a mission to help people there.

My prayers for her today are summed up nicely in the following verse:

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as LORD! Continue to live your life in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness." ~ Col. 2:6-7

Praise God for His faithfulness!