Jambo!

I was born and raised in a Christian home and I knew that I really wasn't saved. At church, one part of the invitation at the end of every sermon always struck me: "If you were to die right now, are you one hundred percent sure that all your sins: past, present and future, are forgiven? Will you spend your eternity in heaven or in the lake of fire?" This wasn't hard for an eight-year-old like me to understand. I downright knew that I was a sinner and if I was to die, I would not end up in heaven where my other four family members would be. I'd end up in the lake of fire and brimstone. I always felt too shy to raise my hand during the invitation time. But, one thing was certain: I knew that I wanted Christ to come into my life. I wanted to spend my eternity with Him. I loved my family so much and the thought of being separated from them was terrible. I wanted to be saved, just like they were! One week, My church, Bethel Baptist Church, was running the usual Vacation Bible School. I wondered who I could talk to, so I got into strategic planning mode and devised a way of indirectly asking my sister how I could get saved. The first time I asked, she didn't seem to get the hint until I told her directly, "Joy, I want to get saved.” She explained how my sin separated me from God, what salvation is, and what happens when one gets saved. Deep down in my heart I just wanted to talk to God and give my life to Him! I had wanted to do that for so long. She asked me if I wanted to ask God to come into my heart upon the realization that I was a sinner, headed to the lake of fire without the power to save myself. And at that moment, I asked the Lord to save me.