- Oct 20, 2019
- 7
- 26
- 50
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
I spent over 40 years of my life as a "Muslim". This was something I never felt a connection to, no matter how hard I tried. I had so many questions and doubts about Islam. The answers that I received just made me lose my faith more and more. I suffered through a long and unhappy arranged marriage. Going against everything that I was taught in Islam, I finally got a divorce. A few years after the divorce, I was at a turning point in my life when I was introduced to someone by a mutual friend. This gentleman (MW) and I hit it off. A few short weeks of dating and both MW and I realized that something very strong and real was happening between us. He and I had discussed our religions often (he being a practicing Baptist and I still somewhat identifying as a Muslim). MW knew that I was struggling with my faith. He asked me if I would ever consider going to church with him. I agreed to try it because I knew it was important to him. People had already heard that MW had been dating a Muslim woman, so I do believe I created quite a buzz when I walked into church on his arm. Aside from being curious about me, everyone was so loving and welcoming to me. The praise songs were......something I just couldn't wrap my head around being sung in a church as a congregation ....complete with two guitarists, a drummer, a pianist, and the praise leader with a microphone belting out Contemporary Christian songs as if he were performing at a concert. The sermon was....just okay. The preacher made a point to say a few things regarding Muslims and Islam. He lost credibility in my eyes because it was obvious to me that he was repeating information gleaned straight from the news and not from actual credible sources. I tried not to let it deter me from learning more about Christianity though. MW could see that I wasn't impressed by the preacher so he asked me if I would be willing to accompany him to a different church the next time. I agreed. The following week, we went to a very small church "out in the country". The people were loving and welcoming to us new comers. This sermon was more "on point" ....strong....the praise songs were old hymns.... I found myself crying. Tears just started running down my cheeks. I didn't even know what it was that affected me that way but I just felt this overwhelming feeling. MW just put his arm around me and let me wipe my face. He didn't say anything until we were in the car heading home. He asked me if I was okay. I explained it to him.....how I didn't have words for what I felt.... I just felt this overwhelming feeling inside and I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt the tears dripping off of my chin and onto my dress. He drove quietly for a while just thinking on it. When he spoke, he said "Baby, you know that I would never push my religion on you....you and I have spoken about this and agreed to respect each other's beliefs..... but everything inside of me is telling me that what you felt was the Holy Spirit working on you."
I nodded my head. I didn't say anything but I did feel in my heart that he was right. He and I tried a few other churches. I preferred the ones that were more...strong....and less la-dee-da. Less sugar coating of words. But.....I also knew that MW preferred his own church because that is where his parents attended. I convinced him to come back to his church. Again, the people were wonderful..... The preacher was nice as can be to me but I still didn't get much out of his sermons. MW went to the church on a weekday to speak with the preacher about possibly helping answer all the questions that I had been asking MW about Christianity. But before MW could say a word, the preacher put his hand up to stop him and said "I think Sarah is a wonderful lady and you two seem to be getting along well, but she is not of our faith. I'm afraid that I will neither condone nor officiate a wedding between you two."
MW was taken aback. He let the preacher know that he wasn't there to ask him to officiate or condone anything. He had come there to ask if he would be willing to answering my questions about Christianity. The preacher said that he would happily answer any questions that I had.
(MW didn't tell me anything about it until months later.)
A few months later, MW asked me to marry him and I accepted. We continued going to that church because I insisted that we should attend where his parents go because they were getting on in years and this was a good way to spend time with them every week. (But I really still didn't care for the contemporary songs.)
I still kept hounding MW with so many questions on the way home from church every Sunday. MW said that he wanted me to meet his cousin and her husband. Her husband was a preacher (Pastor T). MW said that Pastor T would be the best person to ask any questions I had because he was knowledgeable. They came over for dinner one day. I felt comfortable with them immediately and asked question after question. Pastor T told me that he had made a point to actually study all of the major religions of the world so that he had a better understanding of people of different faiths and so that he would be better equipped to have discussions of faith with them. He was right. Pastor T answered all of my questions in a way that made sense to me. Once I was satisfied, I asked him what I should do because I already believed in my heart that Jesus was indeed our Lord and Savior and the true path to Heaven. Pastor T said that if I wanted to make this a declaration of my faith in Christianity, that I could do so at any time. I told him that I felt like it right then and asked if he would help me. He said he would be honored and said let's bow our heads and pray. He asked me to repeat after him. I don't remember the exact words. What I remember is how I felt. I wanted to laugh because I felt good but I also wanted to cry because the feeling was so intense. He said that the next step would be a Baptism. I asked if it needed to be done immediately. He said no. I told him that I wanted to read and study the Bible more before I got officially Baptized. He said that he understood completely.
Now here I am two years later. I haven't been able to study as much as I had wanted to. I got married, work stayed crazy and so many family things got in the way. I have finally retired from my job and want to start learning more about Christianity. I know the basics from just having been born, raised, and educated in the U.S., but I want to know more in depth. I would love to know where to start in the Bible. Some people have told me to start with the new Testament and then go back and read the old Testament......that's my plan for now.
I've decided that I'm no longer waiting to finish studying and learning all about Christianity before getting Baptized. People study the Bible all of their lives and still find new things to learn from it. So the Bible will become an active part of my life, not something to read, understand, and then put away as if done. The Bible can be studied again and again and again. That's my plan.
I've decided on a date for getting Baptized too. (There is a new preacher at our Church and he is someone that I feel is a knowledge one. Also, we have a new praise leader and he leads us to sing a lot of older hyms ....which I love.) I've set the date for Sunday, November 3rd.....the first Sunday in November, whatever date that is.
I nodded my head. I didn't say anything but I did feel in my heart that he was right. He and I tried a few other churches. I preferred the ones that were more...strong....and less la-dee-da. Less sugar coating of words. But.....I also knew that MW preferred his own church because that is where his parents attended. I convinced him to come back to his church. Again, the people were wonderful..... The preacher was nice as can be to me but I still didn't get much out of his sermons. MW went to the church on a weekday to speak with the preacher about possibly helping answer all the questions that I had been asking MW about Christianity. But before MW could say a word, the preacher put his hand up to stop him and said "I think Sarah is a wonderful lady and you two seem to be getting along well, but she is not of our faith. I'm afraid that I will neither condone nor officiate a wedding between you two."
MW was taken aback. He let the preacher know that he wasn't there to ask him to officiate or condone anything. He had come there to ask if he would be willing to answering my questions about Christianity. The preacher said that he would happily answer any questions that I had.
(MW didn't tell me anything about it until months later.)
A few months later, MW asked me to marry him and I accepted. We continued going to that church because I insisted that we should attend where his parents go because they were getting on in years and this was a good way to spend time with them every week. (But I really still didn't care for the contemporary songs.)
I still kept hounding MW with so many questions on the way home from church every Sunday. MW said that he wanted me to meet his cousin and her husband. Her husband was a preacher (Pastor T). MW said that Pastor T would be the best person to ask any questions I had because he was knowledgeable. They came over for dinner one day. I felt comfortable with them immediately and asked question after question. Pastor T told me that he had made a point to actually study all of the major religions of the world so that he had a better understanding of people of different faiths and so that he would be better equipped to have discussions of faith with them. He was right. Pastor T answered all of my questions in a way that made sense to me. Once I was satisfied, I asked him what I should do because I already believed in my heart that Jesus was indeed our Lord and Savior and the true path to Heaven. Pastor T said that if I wanted to make this a declaration of my faith in Christianity, that I could do so at any time. I told him that I felt like it right then and asked if he would help me. He said he would be honored and said let's bow our heads and pray. He asked me to repeat after him. I don't remember the exact words. What I remember is how I felt. I wanted to laugh because I felt good but I also wanted to cry because the feeling was so intense. He said that the next step would be a Baptism. I asked if it needed to be done immediately. He said no. I told him that I wanted to read and study the Bible more before I got officially Baptized. He said that he understood completely.
Now here I am two years later. I haven't been able to study as much as I had wanted to. I got married, work stayed crazy and so many family things got in the way. I have finally retired from my job and want to start learning more about Christianity. I know the basics from just having been born, raised, and educated in the U.S., but I want to know more in depth. I would love to know where to start in the Bible. Some people have told me to start with the new Testament and then go back and read the old Testament......that's my plan for now.
I've decided that I'm no longer waiting to finish studying and learning all about Christianity before getting Baptized. People study the Bible all of their lives and still find new things to learn from it. So the Bible will become an active part of my life, not something to read, understand, and then put away as if done. The Bible can be studied again and again and again. That's my plan.
I've decided on a date for getting Baptized too. (There is a new preacher at our Church and he is someone that I feel is a knowledge one. Also, we have a new praise leader and he leads us to sing a lot of older hyms ....which I love.) I've set the date for Sunday, November 3rd.....the first Sunday in November, whatever date that is.