50 years ago, something happened beside the bed of a young child that changed his life forever.
I am the firstborn of 4 children. This is only a relevant fact in the face of the behavior of mothers to their children. The amount of photos and scrapbooking that occurs for child one vs any that follow is hugely disproportionate.
So a few years ago, I had a major milestone birthday (yes, one that ends in a zero), and my mom sent me an overstuffed scrapbook of my life through her eyes. I don’t know that my siblings will get the same treatment…
Needless to say, I got to look back on 50 years of memories. Some of them were things I definitely didn’t remember because I was too little. Others I remembered fondly – or not so fondly based on the event.
But buried in that scrap book was the single most precious and important memory of my entire life.
On a page dated only “September 1972” was a handwritten note (in my mother’s unmistakeable penmanship) “Denny accepted Jesus as his savior.”
I was 4 years old.
I don’t know when she wrote it. But it was the first written evidence I’d actually seen of what “family legend” said happened.
I have vague memories of kneeling beside my bed on the train rug my grandma had made for me. I think my dad was there beside me. But that was the moment where my childlike heart yielded to His grace.
For the better part of 5 decades, that memory and the family legend had anchored me in my faith. I didn’t doubt that it happened. But that’s not the same as seeing it written down by a faithful witness. The scrapbook made it absolutely concrete.
I have been looking forward to October 2022 for almost 4 years now. It represents my Golden Jubilee of faith in Jesus.
50 years is a long time. And I’m still digesting the reality of it in my life. Over the rest of the month, I’ll share some of the wisdom that five decades produces.
Meanwhile I invite you to celebrate. Not to celebrate me, but to celebrate Jesus with me!
You can celebrate by remembering your own moment when Jesus became real to you. When was it? Where were you? Who was with you? How well do you remember it?
Then reply to this email and share your story. I’d love to celebrate my Savior be hearing hundreds of stories of others who love Him too!
I doubt very much that I’ll be granted another 50 years with Jesus on this earth. But I am grateful for the 50 He has given me so far with Him. And I look forward to the day when I meet Him face to face.
With much rejoicing!
Dennis
