My Vow
A few years ago a family crisis changed my life forever. My nephew was born two months early and developed a lung infection. Doctors feared for his life.
I was a nominal Christian, and I prayed fervently for God to save my nephew's life. I promised God that I would serve Him the rest of my life. My vow to God surprised even me, for I have never prayed like this before. But God answered our prayers.
The Invitation Card
I had made a vow to God, and I intended to keep it. But how? For several months I prayed that God would show me his true church and protect me from false religions.
Then one day my mother showed me an invitation for bible lectures that had been left on our apartment doorstep. I read it and decided to attend. My mother nodded; she knew my vow to God.
My family had planned to sacrifice a lamb in thanksgiving to God for saving my nephew's life. This is traditional in our family faith. But my vow had been to give myself to God as a sacrifice of thanksging.
The Lost Invitation
The invitation gave the address and date, but no telephone number, so I couldn't call to find out just where the meeting would be held. And when I went to check for the invitation once more to be sure of the time and place of the meetings, I couldn't find it. I asked my mother where it was, and she told me that she had thrown it away. she didn't realize I still wanted it.
I was upset, for I knew that Satan was trying to keep me from these meetings. I went to several churches to ask whether they were sponsoring the meetings, but no one knew anything about them. I had already arranged my schedule so I could attend the meetings, and now it seemed that I couldn't go. I was so upset that I cried.
My nieces saw me crying and asked what was wrong. I told them about the lost invitation."Wait!" one girl said."I saw that invitation lying outside the door of some empty apartments in the complex!" The girls ran to get me an invitation while I waited at home. Is it possible that there might still be an invitation in the building? I wondered. Surely by now someone would have thrown them away. Soon my nieces returned carrying the invitation."Here it is, Auntie! here it is!"
I nearly cried for joy as I clutched it! "Thanked You, God," I whispered. I knew that God had preserved this invitation just for me.
Thwarting Satan's Plans
Then on the day that the meetings were to start, I told a classmate about the meetings."How do you know this church isn't a cult?" she asked."They could tell you lies and make you kill yourself!" She was so intensed that I didn't know what to do. I returned home confused. Then I showed a neighbor, a young man, the brochure and asked about the meetings. He offered to find out about the church.
I remembered the brochure offered a free Bible to anyone who attended every meeting. I wanted a Bible, and I wished I hadn't let my friend discourage me me from going. I missed two meetings before my neighbor told me that he had found the church and was going to attend the meetings with me. Quickly I dressed, and we hurried to the church.
When we arrived at the church, I realized that I had been in this church two years earlier for some health lectures. At the time of those meetings two other friends had convinced me that this church was a cult and frightened me into not going. Suddenly I could see Satan's attempts for what they were. As I listened to the programs I became convinced that God was leading me to this church. I wasn't going let anyone frighten me away from this church again!
I studied the bible lessons thoroughly and told my family what I was learning. I was fire on God. I was baptized few months later. Satan isn't done trying to discourage me, but my faith remains strong. I try to share my growing faith with my family, but so far they haven't come to church with me or asked to know more about the Bible. But I'm not going to give up. I'm determined.