Jacob’s Story

I have a hard time trying to pinpoint when I “found” Jesus. For me, that makes me think of wandering through the woods and stumbling upon some “Christian cottage” of faith. And I guess that is some people’s experience. In my life, though, I think it is more of a “noticing” than a “finding.”

I grew up in a home where we learned the stories of Jesus, but my own interactions with Jesus have come in quiet moments when my heart hurts or my life is dizzy. Jesus has undoubtedly helped me deal with the death of family or friends, and in these moments I definitely notice Him. But he has also been there in less traumatic moments when I still needed saving.

Some of the most powerful and precious experiences that define my faith are times when Jesus simply saved me from isolation or pulled me away from my own dumb decisions. And sometimes I haven’t even noticed Jesus in these moments until much later.

I feel like the past few years have been full of more misinformation and unreliable sources than ever before. As I have struggled to find genuine trust in an often untrustworthy world, I am glad to have a Source I can rely on completely. Jesus guides me along the right paths. It is easy to trust Jesus because He has never let me down. Not once! As I look back on my life, that is clear.

So even when friends dismiss religion altogether or challenge Jesus Christ, I think of Simon Peter’s faith-filled response: “To whom shall we go?” For me, Jesus is the only way.