Conversion Story - Part 1

When I was 13, close to turning 14 I told my dad that I wanted to be baptized. We had talked a bit and we went through reasons why I wanted to be baptized and also what Jesus did for this whole reason to be valid.

However, now that I'm older and have life experience behind me I belief that moment when I was a teenager was more of the act of committing to Jesus Christ and not the faith behind it. Well, to give credit to myself I think that I did understand but it wasn't until my twenties when I truly felt it. It being a conglomerate of faith, grace, the Holy Spirit, Christ in my life and the sacrifice given.

When I first moved to Calgary I didn't know anyone but thankfully the Nyrose family opened their home to me. I moved here during Stampede time and for a girl who didn't know what Stampede was it was quite a shock and highly not recommended. I was with them for a few weeks looking for work before they were leaving for a couple weeks of camping. Quickly I found a job so I was quite excited since this was my first job fresh out of college. I had a spring in my step and innocent (or naive) eyes upon the world to which I would begin my new life and new career.

Unfortunately (at that time anyway), one of the projects they had hired me for was quickly cancelled and they couldn't afford to have 3 designers. Well, you know how the saying goes - last one hired, first one......even though it was a lay-off it was quite a blow to the self-esteem. I had just started unpacking my things after being there three weeks and sure enough I was having to collect it all again.

All that being said, I went back to the Nyrose place and they had just left for holiday so I was all by myself in a unfamiliar home, city, even side of the country. I was definitely going through some culture shock. I remember sitting on their kitchen counter with my thoughts and in shock of the events that had taken place wondering what I was going to do. I knew I had to get back to the job-hunt again but having been hired and laid-off for the first time (for each) within a 3 week time period was a lot to handle.

Knowing I was all alone I started crying and then I began to pray. I didn't know what to do or who to turn to but thankfully I knew and remembered that God was in my presence. Since I didn't know anyone here I felt alone and without love but then it hit me that the One that truly loves me is Jesus. I started crying harder but more out of happiness and grace knowing that I am loved even when I'd been given this blow to this new start I had that was shortly lived. I felt like I was finally understanding it, well, understanding more than what I did before about why Jesus sacrificed himself for us, for me! Why?? Because He loves me! Then the song 'Jesus loves me' came in my head. It was like a light finally came on with that song. I had been singing that song for literally decades but it wasn't until something monumental happened that I really took note of it.

Having Jesus in my life for most of my life had been an advantage I had taken advantage of. But when the rubber hit the road I'm glad I was able to fall back on a foundation I'd grown up with that wasn't noticed before.