Finding God at the other side of the ocean (2)

Today I have the honor of sharing my mom-in-law’s story. I’m loving all these written accounts of all the different ways God pulls His children closer to Him, how He shows His love and Himself!
Read part 1 here

In America, one can babysit as well as in Belgium. And I started babysitting two neighbors children, Derek and Kara. The children were dears but with the parents…something was different. The way they got along with each other and with their children? It wasn’t what I was used to. There was also an atmosphere that I couldn’t pinpoint. Love and kindheartedness and patience…I had no clue what to do with it. Especially the tolerant love that was alien to me.

This mother was so committed with her young children and even when they had done something wrong, even when they got spanked, it was in love. And afterwards, they would go on their knees together and ask for forgiveness. I don’t know for sure but I think I stood there open-mouthed more then once.

God softly blew on the little flame inside of me. I was jealous. Healthy jealousy, I’ll call it. What they had, whatever you might call that…I wanted it. I often went to ‘play with the children’, just to be in this peaceful environment. I read every card I saw and every frame with beautiful quotes hanging on the wall. Every candle with a text, and the bibles lying around here and there. Even the children had bibles on their own level! I always looked forward to the next time I could babysit.

Happily, the parents had numerous activities like bible studies and prayer meetings where they had to go to. At other times, they stayed home, and we had conversations. They explained the gospel to me and told me I could accept Jesus as my Savior! Yes! I wanted that! I went home with the resolution to do this, but never actually got to doing it. Was it the language, surroundings, the Adversary? Whatever it was, I couldn’t do it. I knew what to say, how to say it, which words to use, and still I couldn’t do it. Although I could sense God’s closeness, I couldn’t feel a change in my heart. I read the bible they’d let me borrow, and started praying. Just talking to God as if he were sitting beside me in the sofa. I couldn’t get enough of it, to feel so good while being engaged with religion.

And then one day, I did it. On October 6, 1975, I went tot them and explained what I wanted. That I needed what they had. We went on our knees together and said the sinners prayer out loud, together. Wow! The little flame inside of me became an Olympic flame, I was so incredibly happy, I got all warm inside and felt surrounded with love. I went home and locked myself in my room. I had a long talk with my Creator. I asked forgiveness for a lot of things that had gone differently then He had planned. I felt His peace and was covered in His love.

And this thing happened so perfectly! I was in the right place at the right moment, even if I had to go to America for it! And yes, my boyfriend was converted only 4 months later. Those were 4 scary months for me, because I knew it was not advisable at all for a believer to get married with an unbeliever. God is so good! 39 years later I can testify that my story is special! There is no average conversion. Every creation is unique in God’s eyes. Every one is important for God, so important that He gave ?up His only Son so He can spend eternity with us!

~ A daughter of God

This post is part of my 31 days series ‘More like My Father’.