Washed Clean

LET YOUR SINS BE WASHED AWAY

I grew up in a Christian family, went to church every Sunday, and even attended Sunday School as a kid where I colored in pictures of King David, Noah and even Jesus with red and blue crayons which my mom hung with pride on the refrigerator at home. But it was not until I was 10 years old that I really knew the meaning of faith and what it meant to be a follower of Christ.

It was 1990 and I was attending Vacation Bible School at our local church in Norcross, GA; Perimeter Church. I remember coming home on day four of the camp and working on the assignment that we were given in my up-stairs room, laying on my bed and reading the story of the crucifiction and what it meant to have someone die for our sins. I had never really understood what it meant to be a "Christian" until that day. That night I prayed a prayer to have Jesus Christ become my Lord and Savior and for the first time in my life I felt whole. It's crazy right. I was 10 years old. But I can distinctively remember that euphoric feeling that came over me once I prayed that prayer.

Since then my life has taken many different roads, some good, some troublesome. However, the one thing that has stayed constant is my faith in God and the belief that there is more to life than money, power, fame, and earthly possessions. I have a best friend for life. Someone to watch over me as I am driving across the country or to befriend me when I am perched high on a snowy mountain. I may not be perfect and I struggle as much as the next guy with living a "Christian life", but God put it on my heart to share this story.

Yesterday I did something that I have never done before; I was baptized. I chose the one river that has been a constant in my life over the past 10 years; the New River in Southwest, VA. One of the big reasons for driving to Virginia was so that I could be baptized in the waters that brought me some much solace as a college student at Virginia Tech. On this day I was honored to have the brother and the father of my best friend there to baptize me. Two men rooted in their faith who are disciples of Christ and missionaries to the lost.

I know that this post is not what most people signed on to read and I may even loose a few followers because of it, but it was laid on my heart to share it tonight. My only hope is that this story can one day beget more like it and if nothing else it will help remind me that I am missionary to the lost as well.

Until Tomorrow.