Do you know Him?

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16

Do you know Him? If not yet, I promise you, it will be the most important, glorious, life-altering decision you will ever make.

Does becoming a Christian dismiss pain and possible suffering? No, it does not. What it does however do, is give us a safe place to land during difficult times. Jesus suffered more than we ever will, so He understands when we come to Him in tears. He weeps with us, laughs with us and can’t wait to hear from us each new day. Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean life is now a bed of thorn-less roses. Life can be both precious and treacherous. We praise Him and thank Him during good times, and lean on Him as a source of support and guidepost during difficult days.

Some say they do not want to follow a God who allows suffering in the world. Interestingly enough, since we are called to be the hands and feet of God on this earth, I think it is we, not He, who create and allow much of the suffering.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothed you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”

The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35-40)

When I look into the eyes of my husband and experience great love, I thank God for a man I am blessed to spend the rest of my life with. When I look into the eyes of my son, I thank God for the opportunity to have been chosen to be his mother. When friends pray for me when I’m down or sick, I thank God for people who care. When I see a beautiful bird, a bouquet of fragrant flowers, a brilliant sunset, the endless beauty of the ocean or the grandeur of the mountains, I thank God for His incredible creation. Big bang? Accidental phenomenon? I think not. How can anyone look at all of this incredible earthly beauty and not be, at the very least, curious about how it and we got here? How can we not know this amazing earth was created? We were created? I am not an accident and neither are you.

If you read my “Toni’s Story” page, you will find that I, too, was once curious and hopeful there was a God who cared. He does!

When I breathe my very last breath on this earth, I know exactly where I am headed. I am headed to the waiting arms of my heavenly Father and to those who’ve gone before me, who’ve placed faith in Him as well.

Do you know where you are going when you breathe your very last breath on this earth? If your answer is no, would you like to know? Would you like to have a safe place to land during difficult days and know Who to thank for your blessings?

If your answer is yes, then please pray with me. Dear God, I have no idea who You are, or why I am here, but I would like to get to know You. I need to know this life matters somehow and that I matter, too. Jesus, thank You for dying for my sins, please forgive me of my sins and wash me clean from this day forward. I ask You to reside in my heart and help me to live a life that honors Your sacrifice. Please lead me and guide me from this day forward. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you prayed that prayer with me, I celebrate with you! Send me an email to let me know.

The most important thing to do now is to find other Christians to begin talking to. If you do not have a church you attend, please find one. I prefer non-denominational, but the choice is yours. Getting plugged into a church where you can begin learning and growing in your new found faith is essential. The Bible tells us to have fellowship with other believers. Don’t try to figure it all out on your own.

If you’re still unsure, that’s okay, too. There’s no harm in asking God to show Himself to you. What’s the worst thing that can happen? Let’s talk about it. Email me if you’d like.

In His embrace,
Toni

One comment to Do you know Him?

  • Patricia  says:

    …… .. “does becoming a Christian dismiss pain and suffering?”….. Toni, your life is your testimony to women about strength and perseverance and how your faith and love of our Lord got you through some very difficult times. I became very emotional last night after reflecting on this because there was a time when I contributed to that. Thank you for your loving heart and showing God’s grace and mercy to those of us who don’t always deserve it. <

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