I accepted Christ as my Savior on November 16, 2007. You see, I thought I “got saved” when I was 5 years old. I can tell you the entire story because it has been told to me. I’ve never doubted it at all really until this semester. A couple of times I’ve had doubts, but I usually push them away. Friday night (the 16th), I was supposed to be working in the kitchen (I do that every night!), but the freshman class officers were subbing for all of the dish pit workers. So, I was spending some time with a few friends (Ben Oertle, Jimmy Wedding, Candace Gregory) and we were discussing things from the Bible and such. At one point two of them said that at the point of salvation you are dedicating your life to God. I looked at Ben and said, “No. At the point of salvation you pray a prayer and say ‘Jesus please come into my heart and save me from my sins.’ THE END!” He asked me, “Why is that the end?” I didn’t know what to say…I looked up some verses and such and was starting to get really confused. Ben kept asking me if I was OK and I would say, “Yes.” At one point he just stopped what he was doing and looked at me and asked what was going on. I started crying (which isn’t really that rare for me!) and told him, “Ben, I’m really confused.” I asked him how you can know that you are saved. (I know the answer…by fruits.) I told him, “Growing up I’ve always heard the witnessing example: Ask a person if they know where they would go if they died today. If they say heaven, ask why. They should be able to tell you that they remember a time…I don’t remember that time. How can you really KNOW if you are saved?” Ben then opened his Bible and read the entire book of I John to me. I got up and walked out. I sat and cried and thought to myself, “I can’t get saved now! I was supposed to be saved 15 years ago! If I do this now I’ll have to tell my parents (along with everybody else) I never was saved!” I talked to Candace for a little bit and then I stopped Ben and asked him to come over with me. I explained to him that I think I need to get saved, but I’d have to tell my parents and all that…then I looked at him and said, “But isn’t it worth it to have to tell my parents?” He asked me if it was and I said, “Yes.” He read a few more verses with me and I stopped and looked at him and said, “Ben, I’m not saved. What do I do?” Then I looked at him and said, “I need to pray.” He asked if I wanted him to stay with me and I said I didn’t really care and then he told me that he thought I should read Luke 14:25-the end of the chapter. He said I need to know the cost of discipleship. I looked at him and said, “OK. I need to find a bible.” So I got up and ran back to my room and grabbed my bible and read the passage over and over. I came to the conclusion that this was really hard stuff to do, but I need to do it. I texted Ben and asked him if he would pray with me, but he didn’t have reception, so I stopped and thought, “I don’t need Ben. All I need is God.” I read the passage a few more times, and then I poured my heart out to God.
So, I very well may have “got saved” when I was five, but I don’t remember it, and I was doubting. I accepted Christ November 16th
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