My Testimony of How I Found God

If God exists, why do we suffer?

If God exists, why doesn't He show himself to us more often?

If God exists, why do good people have bad things happen to them?

These were a few of the many questions I had that kept me from accepting Christ into my life. I've always been a pretty nice, Catholic boy, growing up in a fairly decent home. I went to CCD/Sunday School when I was younger and pretty much just joked around in it for all nine of those years, like the rest of the kids. I've always prayed before bed, even when I sometimes didn't believe in God. However, faith and God didn't seem important to me back then. I think I prayed just in case God existed.

When I entered Illinois Wesleyan University, I learned a valuable lesson: if there is something you don't understand, ask someone about it. I began asking friends questions, half out of curiosity for the answers, half out of an effort to stump them and disprove their God. When I would ask a question that they wouldn't know how to answer, they would introduce me to someone whose knowledge of God was a bit better than theirs and I would get answers I could believe. It came to the point when there were no questions I could fathom that couldn't be answered by the Bible. The power of that book is so awesome and I was in awe of it.

However, there was still something missing with my faith. I wasn't able to live a Christian life fully. Well, I was having an awful week. After class, I felt this amazing calling to go to the chapel for some reason. I obeyed it and knelt down and prayed when I got there. I prayed for God to please somehow, some way give me proof of Him. I said that I was trying so hard, but something still felt amiss. At that point, tears began streaming down my face... but I wasn't really crying or even sad! It was like God had responded right then and there! If that wasn't enough for me, I left that chapel... and felt like every worry I'd had going into that chapel was completely insignificant and minuscule.

Two weeks later, I prayed the prayer. In other words, I acknowledged that I was a sinner and that Jesus was my savior. This began a new birth for me. Since then, I've completely quit swearing and my thoughts have been more pure. True, I still do sin, but I have repented for my sins and my life has become much more pure than it was before. The Holy Spirit has invaded my life and I'm a changed man. I'm even majoring in church education! I pray that everyone else in the world can enjoy His grace like I have.