Uh-huh moment...

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 

Matthew 16:13-16

So, I’m living in North Carolina and am seeing people that have something I can’t really explain, but I want. One of these people is a friend of mine who I originally met when we had our horses boarded at the same barn and then started going to her to get my hair cut. She sensed my curiosity and often invited me to come to a Bible study she attended. BSF, Bible Study Fellowship, is an interdenominational study of the Bible, but I kept saying I couldn’t go… I was Jewish. I’m really stubborn, as some might attest, and I knew that I wouldn’t be welcomed at a Bible study!

I’m not sure exactly when this happened, I am going to guess it was in the spring of 2002. I was getting my hair cut and my friend and I were talking. I told her that I wanted to believe in Jesus but I just couldn’t understand how or who he was. Before I left her shop she opened her Bible and began to read to me. The scripture beginning at John 1:1 and at that moment it happened. It was a feeling I can only try to explain… I will term it as “acceptance of Him.” A rush or chill went through my body… it was very physical and noticeable to me. I believe it was the Holy Spirit, although at that moment I didn’t know that… all I knew was that I believed. I believed that Jesus exists and is the Son of God. It was my “Uh-huh” moment… the moment God choose to let me accept what I’ve been searching for.

I didn’t sneak into church anymore… I proudly walked in. I attended a newcomers class and in October 2002 was Baptized and became a member of our church. During that first year I grew and slowly gave up much of what I was finding no longer had a place in my life.

Attending church, doing some service work and making new friends was amazing, but I still wanted to get more into the Bible so…. yep, I did it. I started going to BSF in September 2003. The study that first year was “Israel and the Minor Prophets” an amazing study of the Old Testament. I learned more about my Jewish heritage in those nine months of study than I had learned in my entire life. Over the past seven years I have continued to learn about my heritage as a Jew and as a Christian, if that makes sense. I am both… there is no denying my Jewish heritage and I’m glad for that. But I’m one of the very very lucky ones that came to know Jesus Christ. I’m sure that if I had been alive back when He walked the earth with man, I would have followed and praised Him.

This past week I just started my eighth year of BSF… this year is the study of Isaiah. It’s a new study that was just added on. I thought I had completed the full seven year study and then they sprang this on us last spring. I’m happy and excited to be back. If you aren’t familiar with this study, a large group of women (or men if you are a man) meet then break up into small groups for discussion and then come back as a large group for a lecture. We had well over four hundred women in attendance this past week! And… God placed me in a small group that I’m so excited about. We have a great group of women and guess who is in my group for the first time… yep, that friend that didn’t give up on me, that nagged and nagged till I got it.

~Lord, You found me! Thank you for being with me that day, today and every day. I know I stumble and sometimes forget that you walk by my side… that your spirit is within me… but at the end of the day when I lay down to rest, I know you are here and kept me safe just one more time. Amen.~