How my parents were saved

My parents were not Christians when they got married. Although they had morals and values, and had been to churches before, they'd never committed their lives to Christ. My mom and dad met at a hospital in Pennsylvania where they both worked. After they got married, they moved to Oklahoma so my dad could complete his service in the Air Force. In a small town in Oklahoma, my parents tried out two different churches and got a home visit from two different pastors.

The pastor of the first church was friendly, welcoming, and very smart. He entertained them with stories about his life. They discussed current events, literature, politics, you name it. That pastor was well-dressed, well-spoken, and funny. My mom said they had a very enjoyable evening with him, and talked about all sorts of things.

The other pastor wasn't as well-dressed or as well-spoken, but he was still friendly and nice.  When he came to visit, they didn't talk about a broad range of topics. In fact, all he could talk about was God. He talked about Jesus and salvation and the resurrection and eternal life. He answered any questions my mom and dad had. I don't think they'd ever had the Gospel explained to them the way he explained it. That pastor was passionate about what he believed. By the end of the night he said, "I think you're ready to make a decision." He was right. He prayed with my mom and dad that evening and they both accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

It may sound dumb, but I still tear up when I think of this story. As a result of one man's passion and conviction, my parents were saved and MY life changed forever. I wouldn't be the person I am today if I hadn't grown up in a Christian home. I might never have been introduced to Jesus at such a young age and my life would have been totally different. But luckily there was a pastor of a baptist church in a small town in Oklahoma who was a sold-out Christian- who cared enough to tell my parents the best news they ever could have heard- that they had a chance for eternal life through the grace of Jesus Christ!

I never knew this man (that I can remember) and I don't even know his name, but I'm eternally grateful to him for making a house call one time over 20 years ago and sharing the love of God with a young couple that night. He might not know that the message he gave has been passed on to another generation (and hopefully will continue to be passed on for many more). It makes me wonder: What could I do if I was totally sold-out for Christ? That pastor was making such a difference in the middle of nowhere. What can I do, here and now, in the place where God has put me? You never know how your choices today will affect others- days, months, even years from now.

I love this story of how my parents got saved because it's still affecting me every day. If I could go back and talk to that pastor, I would say, "Thank you! You have no idea how the choice you made that day has changed my life." The older I get, the more I realize how much God matters to me and how little everything else does. Only what we do for Him will last forever! And I keep asking myself, "What am I doing today that will make an eternal difference?"