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When I was age 9 my next door neighbors, who had a son my age, invited me to church. It was Easter Sunday. There was no regular Sunday school service that day, so we sat with the adults.
During most of the service I was daydreaming. At the end came an altar call. The next thing I knew my friend was poking me in my chair saying, “You have to go up. Go.” I wasn’t sure why he was so determined for me to go forward. Until that minute, I was probably sitting there salivating as I daydreamed about all the chocolate in my Easter basket. (Just like right now.) To this day, I remember the moment vividly. I had no idea what was happening, but I went up anyway. I felt drawn.
Because I was a little girl, the pastor made a big deal out of me. I recall him walking over and asking my name, and how old I was. He then asked the family who brought me to stand up. Everyone clapped. After that, I was sent home with a new Bible and some information regarding the church.
Even though I may not have been fully aware of the commitment I was making that day, the moment lives with me. I was but a small child, yet I recognized this day was significantly different than any other I had lived. I wouldn’t have been able to describe it in those words at such a young age, but I felt it. It was real. It is what I like to call a God moment in my life.
From a tender and early age God was seeking me. He used my willing and obedient neighbors to reach me. He planted a seed deep in my heart. This is why I am such a huge advocate of children’s ministries and vacation Bible school programs. The “soil” in the hearts of children is fertile. When a seed is planted there is a much better chance of it developing roots in the soft, pliable hearts of children.
Throughout my life I have experienced several God moments, which has shaped my existence and kept me on the narrow road. You see, God didn’t just send His Son to die, raise Him from the dead, and then just leave it at that. No. He seeks us. He desires us to know Him.
He makes it a point to continue knocking on the doors of our hearts, pursuing us with passion. He loves us too much to leave us alone. Christ made a way for us, the Father seeks us, and the Holy Spirit draws us. There are times when we might feel forgotten, but we are not.
Can you remember a God moment in your life? I would love to hear about it.