A Child's Sincere Faith

I grew up in a Christian family with three siblings, and I was a parent’s nightmare. I have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), so I spent many months living with my paternal grandparents. My grandmother was a devout Christian woman. who played the piano for several hours every day, and I would sit on the piano bench and we would sing Christian songs together. Every single day, God was a part of it. Being with her was the happiest time of my youth.

In the church that I grew up in, families didn't separate during the service, and there was no children's church. I grew up listening to the Word of God. Around age six, I began truly listening to what the pastor said, and it started tugging at my heart. I cried when I thought about how much God loved me, enough to give His Son to die for me. I had to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. There was nothing else to do. It had to be done.

I started to get up from the pew and step into the aisle. My dad grabbed and tried to stop me. I can now vaguely remember him saying, "Get back here!" I walked up to the pastor and told him I wanted to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. He looked shocked but went ahead and announced it to the congregation. After the service, he had a meeting with just me and then with me and my parents together. He asked me questions about why I wanted to accept Christ as my Savior. I guess he got the answers he wanted to hear because he told my parents that, although I was much younger than usual, my faith was real and sincere.

The next Sunday, the pastor had me come to the front of the church and face the congregation. He told them he had questioned me and that, in his opinion, I was a candidate for baptism. I was baptized that night during the Sunday evening service. Although I didn't live as I knew I should during my young adulthood, I still talked to God every day. I finally started to try and live my faith right before my wife and I married.

Have you experienced God's transformative power  in your own life? We would love to hear your story! Your story—regardless of how spectacular or ordinary you might think it is—is a glimpse into God's character and could inspire and encourage others on their own spiritual journeys. Share how you've experienced  the life-changing love and grace of God today.