A Day I Will Never Forget

When you look back over a lifetime, there are certain days that stand out in your memory.

Graduation day, my wedding day, the days my children were born - those days are forever etched in my memory. (What mother forgets the birth story of her child? We love telling it to pregnant ladies to prepare them!)

The day I decided to give my life to Christ is definitely a day I will never forget.

It was the summer I was 14. I know it was summer because we had just gotten back from vacation where I'd had a near-death experience with carbon monoxide poisoning.

Before we had left for vacation, our dear Sister Bates had felt led to ask me if I'd ever made a public confession of accepting Christ as my Savior.

I said, "No, not yet, I have some things I want to do first."

Now, I have no idea what those "things" were, but basically I just wanted to be in control of all things Jerralea.

I had a vague idea that once I got married, then I would live for God and raise my family in church.

So we traveled to visit the fam and while there my dad ran across a great deal on a used car. (He loved to wheel and deal. Buying old cars, fixing them up and then selling them for a profit was meat and drink to him.) He had a brainwave to drive the used car home while towing our car behind it. His reasoning was make the old car do all the work and save mileage on our car.

I tell you all this to explain how the carbon monoxide poisoning happened - the old car didn't have a good exhaust system. Basically the carbon monoxide backed up into the backseat where I was sitting. I fell into a deep sleep that took a visit to the emergency room to wake me.

The doctor told my dad, "Good thing you stopped when you did and noticed the problem! Much longer and she might not have ever woke up."

That was a wake up call for me in more ways than one!

I made up my mind the very next time the church doors opened I'd be at that altar.

I don't remember Bro. Joe Hart's sermon that day, I was impatiently waiting for the altar call. I do remember what I was wearing - what girl doesn't remember her outfit at important moments of her life? I looked like this:

This is what I wore every chance I got when I was 14. (I know I've shared this pic before!)

I can see the altar at Amelia Baptist Church in my mind's eye every time I think about the day I started my journey Home.

I remember Bro. Hart gave me some reading material entitled, "Now that I'm a Christian," and talked about the importance of being baptized and reading the scripture daily and praying.

My little type A personality was excited because I love studying and following rules.

Since then, I've learned so so much about my walk with Christ. I learned it's not a religion but a relationship. It's not about following the rules but following what my Savior does.

Yes, the day I started on my journey Home is a day I will never forget.

Do you have a day you can't forget? Leave a comment and let us know all about it!

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I'm sharing this post at Char's Trekking Thru The Week Linkup.