When I started university in New York State in 1976 some of the first people I met in my dormitory were Christian. Although at that time I did not have a faith my self I was interested in making friends with them because I thought it would be prudent to associate with good people and religious people fell in that category of good. From time to time our conversations would shift to spiritual topics.
Onceduring one such discussion when it was my turn to express an opinion I said
“Thereis one God but that people could reach him in different ways ” One personthere said something I had never heard in my life. He said: ” Jesus Christis the only way to God”.
Thiscategorical statement struck me and although I did not say anything at the timeit went straight into my heart.
Mycontacts with these Christians started to become more and more infrequent. Fromtime to time if the subject of Christianity ever came up I would be offered sometracts which I would accept in order not to hurt them but I would put them inthe bottom drawer of my desk without reading them. By the end of the year whenit became clear that I would not be able to pursue a degree in medicine whichhad become like an idol in my life my life no longer had any goal or purpose.
When theacademic year ended, I returned to my parents’ home and started to do somereading in Marxism in a university library near my home. This ideology wasstarting to fill the void in my life.
Thefollowing year when I moved into a dormitory in another university I quicklylearned that the student who was staying across the corridor was someone who wasready to discuss spiritual matters with anyone who might be interested. He was aChristian.
Thisseemed like a strange coincidence but now I understand that it was God’smerciful plan that I come once again in contact with the truth concerning theLord Jesus Christ.
But atthe time that’s not what I thought. My leanings toward Marxism started to makeme more antagonistic to Christianity.
From mynew contact I learned that Jesus Christ would come again as Judge and King. Thisseemed to me a very incredible thing to believe. In my mind this seemed to methe weakest point of Christianity.
So oneevening before classes started for the term I found myself in my friend’s room.When chatting I noticed on his desk what looked like a book about Christianity.It was actually about the Lord’s Second Coming.
Thatevening as I read this book carefully in the quietness of my room the Lordopened my heart to receive the message of that book as the Lord had openedLydia’s heart to respond to Paul’s message in Acts 16:14.
I readthat book from cover to cover and by the time I reached the end I had completelysurrendered to Christ.
EverythingI read pointed to the deity of Jesus Christ and I had for the first time beganto see this truth.
Shortly thereafter I got my first Bible and started reading it. The words began to speak to me directly.
I also met with Christians on campus. I was advised to reveal to my parents my faith when I went home during the Christmas holidays. I did. I did not expect the extremely vigorous opposition to which I was immediately subjected. I did go back to university after the Christmas recess and was baptized about four months later in April of 1977. During my confession of faith at my baptism I still remember saying I would follow Christ wherever he would lead me.
Please email me at Celal777@yahoo.com
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