I guess I'm still finding myself, but this is how God came to me.
My parents aren't religious at all. Period. As wonderful as they are, God was never mentioned in our home as I was growing up, so I never really got an idea of who He is. I learned about Christianity through TV and in religious studies in school. I never had any Christian friends, and still don't, which I suppose is competely my fault.
I remember at around 8 years old, I asked my parents if I could go to Sunday school. My parents were very helpful about it, and from then on, every Sunday, the Sunday school bus would pull up outside our house, I would get on, and go to start learning about Christianity at the Presbyterian Church a couple of miles away. There, I learned about Jesus, and what he did for us. Sunday soon became my favourite day. I remember I got all the questions right in the Sunday School quiz, and was given books and pictures as prizes. Anyway
At around 12 years old, I totally abandoned my faith, and stopped going to Sunday school. See, it was at around that age that puberty hit, and I started getting "feelings" for different things. Thing is, I didn't have the same feelings as all of the rest of the boys. Instead, I realised I was gay. Well, I suppose I always knew. It was just at that age, I could put a definition, a word to the feelings. I remember sneaking downstairs one night, turning on the TV, and seeing the UK "Queer as Folk" on it. All the gay men were interested in sex, and alcohol, and drugs, and my mind decided that all gays were like that. I remember being disgusted, and resolving that I did not want to be like that. Thus ensued months of praying for help, but nothing ever came; so I lost my faith.
Skip forward to when I was about 15 years old. My best friend and I started attending a youthclub at the Church. We went in, had fun, played pool, ate sweets, but we had to sit for 10 or 15 minutes every night, and listen to one of the leaders speak about Jesus, and the Bible. Usually, I ignored it, and joked around, but I suppose I was really listening, because I can remember a lot of the words that were said.
One night, one of the leaders asked me if I believed in God. I give him a really enigmatic response, like "It's against who I am to believe". Judging by his face, he was confused, so he gave me a special gift. My very first Bible. Trying to wade through all the thees and thous at that age was a big task, but in the end I triumphed. I went to the library most days, and sat for hours reading any book I could about the Bible, and what it meant. I got a lot of mixed messages from different scholars on its meaning, so I decided to try to figure it out myself.
In the end, though, I found what I was looking for all along. I found God. I asked Him back into my life, repented my sins, and promised Him that I would never leave Him again.
I'm happy with who I am now. I try to live my life as best I can, but sometimes, I don't. It's a difficult task, but I promised God I would persevere.
Everyday, my faith multiplies. Right now, I'm in my first year of studying Chemistry at University. Everyday, I get to learn about the mind of God through science. How amazing God must be to have made all these laws and principles to make us.
I love God with all my heart, and it's staying that way. He's too amazing to let go.
God bless!
My parents aren't religious at all. Period. As wonderful as they are, God was never mentioned in our home as I was growing up, so I never really got an idea of who He is. I learned about Christianity through TV and in religious studies in school. I never had any Christian friends, and still don't, which I suppose is competely my fault.
I remember at around 8 years old, I asked my parents if I could go to Sunday school. My parents were very helpful about it, and from then on, every Sunday, the Sunday school bus would pull up outside our house, I would get on, and go to start learning about Christianity at the Presbyterian Church a couple of miles away. There, I learned about Jesus, and what he did for us. Sunday soon became my favourite day. I remember I got all the questions right in the Sunday School quiz, and was given books and pictures as prizes. Anyway
At around 12 years old, I totally abandoned my faith, and stopped going to Sunday school. See, it was at around that age that puberty hit, and I started getting "feelings" for different things. Thing is, I didn't have the same feelings as all of the rest of the boys. Instead, I realised I was gay. Well, I suppose I always knew. It was just at that age, I could put a definition, a word to the feelings. I remember sneaking downstairs one night, turning on the TV, and seeing the UK "Queer as Folk" on it. All the gay men were interested in sex, and alcohol, and drugs, and my mind decided that all gays were like that. I remember being disgusted, and resolving that I did not want to be like that. Thus ensued months of praying for help, but nothing ever came; so I lost my faith.
Skip forward to when I was about 15 years old. My best friend and I started attending a youthclub at the Church. We went in, had fun, played pool, ate sweets, but we had to sit for 10 or 15 minutes every night, and listen to one of the leaders speak about Jesus, and the Bible. Usually, I ignored it, and joked around, but I suppose I was really listening, because I can remember a lot of the words that were said.
One night, one of the leaders asked me if I believed in God. I give him a really enigmatic response, like "It's against who I am to believe". Judging by his face, he was confused, so he gave me a special gift. My very first Bible. Trying to wade through all the thees and thous at that age was a big task, but in the end I triumphed. I went to the library most days, and sat for hours reading any book I could about the Bible, and what it meant. I got a lot of mixed messages from different scholars on its meaning, so I decided to try to figure it out myself.
In the end, though, I found what I was looking for all along. I found God. I asked Him back into my life, repented my sins, and promised Him that I would never leave Him again.
I'm happy with who I am now. I try to live my life as best I can, but sometimes, I don't. It's a difficult task, but I promised God I would persevere.
Everyday, my faith multiplies. Right now, I'm in my first year of studying Chemistry at University. Everyday, I get to learn about the mind of God through science. How amazing God must be to have made all these laws and principles to make us.
I love God with all my heart, and it's staying that way. He's too amazing to let go.
God bless!
I'm glad he brought you someone who makes your faith stronger. I hope I have that one day 
