2010 Gratitude Challenge - November 10

Today I am thankful for my salvation. I truly would not be the person I am today without the constant help and guidance of my Lord Jesus. I tend to not preach my faith as much as I should but I live it - to the best of my ability - every single day.

I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was only eight years old. I still remember that day. The church my family attended at the time had been renting a church in town. They had done this for years. I loved that church. It had the most beautiful stained glass windows, a old pipe organ that took up the entire front of the sanctuary, and really hard wooden pews. There was gorgeous wood work everywhere. And a steeple bell. That we still rang each Sunday morning.

When I was still young, the denomination we rented from decided they needed their church back since their numbers had grown. We were suddenly without a church home. We started meeting in the basement of the town hall. I lived in rural America (still do actually). The basement was small. All of our Sunday School classes were there as well - one large room - many different groups meeting. We had some amazing Sunday School teachers!

I don't remember how long we met in that church basement - a few years I think - but we started to save and eventually built our own church building.

Back to my salvation though - one day when I was eight years old and sitting on a cold folding chair in the basement of the town hall I gave my life to Christ. I'm not even sure what the pastor was talking about that day but I just knew I needed a Savior in my life - someone to forgive all my sins. Granted most eight year olds don't have a lot of sins, but as Romans 3:23 reminds us "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." I knew that applied fully to me. And I was eventually baptized when I was twelve years old.

Over the course of time I have not always lived a life I am proud of. I have not always lived for Christ. I have not always lived the way Christ wants me to. However, I have been forgiven time and again for my mistakes and sins. And thankfully my God is great enough to extend that mercy and grace to me each time I mess up - no matter how big or small.