The day after Thanksgiving in November of 1993, I was brought home to the Reinhold Family ranch. The first child to my parents and the 4th generation to call this Home! Raised in the same house that my Dad and Grandpa were both raised in, I developed a deep love for some rolling hills with a few special trees in Meade County, South Dakota from my very first year of life! Growing up like any other farm or ranch kid I had chores from a young age. From rabbits to chickens and washing and selling eggs to milking the cow. I absolutely loved the life I was living!
But aside from my parents teaching us responsibility and the value of hard work, honesty and integrity... they told us about Jesus.
When I was 3 years old I became very aware of the fact that I was indeed a sinner! And because my parents did a good job of telling me about Heaven. And Hell. I realized even at the age of 3 that I was a sinner, destined for hell with no hope of ever being good enough to be accepted by a Perfect God.
So on January 7, 1997 I had been doing much thinking and went to my mom who was busy in the kitchen and told her that I was scared, that if I died I knew I would go to hell, and I wanted Jesus to forgive my sin and make a way for me to go to heaven. January 7, 1997 I recognized my need for a Savior.
What does it mean to be saved? It means giving up our pride. Realizing that we can't do it on our own. Believing that we were born sinners and did not deserve an eternal home with a Perfect God, the Creator of the Universe. It means accepting the fact that even though we don't deserve it, God loved us so much that He decided to send down His One and only perfect Son to die for us and literally be the Sacrifice for any one of us who will accept it! It means giving up ourselves and turning our lives over to a God Who loves us. No matter what we've done.
One could argue that as a 3 year old I was too young to understand what I was doing that day, but let me tell you that I remember that day as though I was watching it replay on a screen before me. You can also ask my Grandma and she would tell you of the literal life changing, day-night difference that she saw in me after that day!
My Mom dropped what she was doing and we went into Dad's office where Mom and Dad prayed with me as I accepted my Savior, confessed my sins and asked Jesus to become the Lord of my life. And that day my life was changed forever.
Life didn't become easy after that day. In fact there has been some really hard things since then. And some people may ask why would I put so much faith and trust into a God that we can't even see? Well my answer is simple. I can't imagine going though life without Him!!
So today I had a lot on my mind... I was flipping through my bible and ended up in Proverbs. On the bottom of one of the pages I had written - "What will you do with Jesus?"
It was a challenge to me today and one I leave with you.
He's not just a story to me. He changed my life. He's not just a person from history. He died for my sins. He didn't just die, He rose from the dead.
He lives and all He asks for is your heart.
If I do nothing in this life I pray that others saw Jesus in me. He is everything to me and I pray that you come to know Him as I have.
"What will you do with Jesus?"
Happy Sunday