Faith and Learning
My faith journey began nearly twenty years ago, on a Saturday, while working in a salon with a Bible thumping girl who refused to quit asking me to church, week after week after week. It was on this specific day that she again asked me to attend a local singles group at her church. It was in this moment and on that Saturday that I decided to tell her “yes.” I followed this answer with one condition. Stating, “If I attended, and did not like it, she would never be allowed to ask me again.” For some odd reason a smile crossed her face as if she had won some sort of prize which puzzled me. Afterward, I thought, “soon I’ll wipe that silly grin off that face of hers!”
Later that evening we both entered a huge auditorium like building filled with smiling faces and loud music. Raised to be respectful I responded to the bee like swarms with smiles and kind gestures. Yet, my mind was saying, help! We sat down, the music began, and people started dancing! I thought, “hell no, this isn’t happening.” Still, it was and I sat in the middle of the chaos playing a tape over and over in my head that said, like The Little Engine that Could, “I think I can, I think I can, I think their nuts, get me out of here, where’s the door, and finally rescue me, when I heard the preacher say, “there is someone here who? “ That someone was me, and as he called I responded. Thus, my faith began.
What seemed to follow that experience was another swarm of what I now call God’s check –up.
Afterward and for weeks to come m cliental grew by half, but it wasn’t by normal people, but by those who knew God. Each client, one by one shared their faith and hope in Christ with me. It was as if God himself was sending everyone to teach, protect and guide me. One woman in particular invited me to a Bible study with her pastor and to my surprise I said, “Yes!” Each week the man taught me fundamentals of the faith, but one specific day we read the passages concerning baptism....