Chocolate Eggs, Bunny Rabbits and Jelly Beans

As the world prepares to celebrate Easter with chocolate eggs (which I truly love), easter bunnies and egg hunts, I prepare to celebrate the Great Resurrection of Jesus…what a glorious day! Easter is also my anniversary of truly meeting Jesus. It was March 31st, 2002 when my friend Sandy (my junior high school friend) invited me to In The Light Ministries Lancaster. I was a college student at Temple University and I was kinda cute 🙂 but super lost, broken, mentally, emotionally and physically sick. I went looking for a little hope that could get me some sense of relief from what I was going through. I went from being one of those little girls who ran around the church on Easter Sunday’s in a pink polkadot dress (can you picture me real chunky and with a fro lol) with ruffled socks, a little white purse and hat to being a 21 year old woman that didn’t want anything to do with Jesus. I knew all the great stories, Jonah and the whale, Noah and the flood and I had even sang as a little girl for the adults but I had no clue who Jesus really was.

I don’t remember much about the alter call that day, I don’t even remember walking up, but  I hear that Nina’s (my roommate) aunt Laura prayed for me and some share that my cry almost broke every window in that small church building. Everything I had internalized for the last 2-4 years of my life came out that morning. After that encounter so much has happened such as: never picking up an alcoholic drink again, breaking up with my boyfriend immediately after, I stopped going to clubs (okay, I’m lying, I went once after lol, but to be honest, when the old nasty man tried to dance with me I realized I just didn’t fit in) and I never looked back.

Although I encountered Jesus for the 1st time that Easter, I continue to have amazing encounters with Him where He overwhelms me with His passionate love, He whispers His secrets in my ears,  He disciplines me so gently and He gives me His heart for his Bride, the Church.  I used to spend years dreaming of being a FBI agent and traveling for myself, but now I dream  of laying my life down for others and traveling the world to preach the Gospel. Now that’s what I call life…a life full of abundance.  (John 10:10) Just like marriage, this walk should never get complacent or boring. Our walk with Jesus should cause us to yearn and search for more of Him.  Jeremiah 33:3 (Msg version)  says: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.”  Doesn’t this Scripture make you want to go deeper!?  Man o Man! I could go on about that but I won’t lol.

Anyways, this is the story of my first encounter and as I continue to blog, I look forward to sharing more great moments I have had with Him.  Now let me end this so I can eat a chocolate covered marshmallow egg. 🙂