Chosen!

When I was just nine years old, a man showed up at our front door.

This man was middle-aged and dressed in a suit. He told me he was from a church located on the other side of the river. I recognized the name of his church. This church would bring a bus through our neighborhood on Sunday mornings and transport children to church. When church was over, they would bring the kids home again. I was always curious what went on over at that church.

My mom had a religious upbringing and felt it was important to take us to church as well. We were C & E Christians mainly. My mom would always try to get us to church on Easter Sunday and we would go for awhile. And then maybe around Christmastime. We would go to church for awhile and then for some reason that would fade again. We always went to "our" church though. She would comment that the church that sent that bus around did it because they couldn't get enough people to come to their church, so they would pick up kids to fill their church.

So on this particular day, when this nice man showed up at our door, I was thinking he just needed another innocent kid to go to his church to fill a pew. But, it wasn't that way. He stood on the front porch and was so kind. He did tell me about his church, but he wasn't demanding at all. He gave me a little booklet to read. I remember feeling at peace in his presence, but scared to death that my mom would find out that I was talking to this guy. He must have sensed my fear and quickly left our house. I quickly disposed of his literature.

As I went back into our house, I was just waiting for someone to make fun of me or question what I was doing out there on the porch. Nevertheless, I couldn't shake the feeling of how special I felt. And how this man's only motive seemed to be to simply tell me that Jesus loved me.

I didn't have a bible of me own. So, I spent time in my mother's bedroom looking through her bible. My curiosity about Jesus became very real. I would try to read the bible, but not much of it made sense to me. I instead would fix my gaze on the beautifully illustrated pictures. I especially loved the one of Jesus coming in the clouds. I often wondered if that was really going to happen someday.

A few weeks went by and the man showed up at our door again. Cautiously, I went out to greet him. He asked me if I would want to go to his church and if I would want the bus to pick me up. He asked if I had any brothers or sisters that might want to come along too. He seemed so sincere. I knew that my mom would disapprove, so I told him probably not.

He was so patient and did not seem to be in a hurry at all. It was like he was sent there just to talk to me. He asked me if I knew that Jesus loved me. He asked me if I wanted Jesus to live in my heart. He told me that I could pray and that Jesus would answer my prayer. All of this was new to me and it made me nervous. How would I explain this to my mom? And I thought she would be so upset if she knew this man was on our front porch. Again, he must have sensed my fear, and kindly left.

I never saw him again. But, many years later, that scene came to my mind. At the age of 23, I again was asked if I knew that Jesus loved me. Shortly before this, I had told Jesus I would follow Him if He would teach me what that meant. Now, with her bible in hand, my aunt methodically worked her way through the book of John. When she was finished and with my heart opened wide, I truly understood that Jesus loved me enough to die for me.

I have been walking with Jesus for 22 years and again tonight the Lord took me back to that day on the front porch. He was seeking me when I was only 9 years old. I do believe the man on my front porch was obeying Jesus when he showed up at my door again. I believe that I was his assignment that day. It was really Jesus knocking on my heart's door. I am sorry it took me so many years to answer.

Jesus chose me. He sought after me. He pursued me. He let me hear him knocking on my heart's door.

Do you know that you are a chosen one? Do you know that He pursues you out of love? Will you answer the knock at the door? It's Jesus...let Him in...don't be like me and wait for years and years...open the door today...you will never regret it!