I met Jesus when I was 17 years old. This is how it happened. My cousin asked me if I would like to go to camp for a week. I said sure, but how much is it? He told me that it was about $250.00. I told him, that I didn't have that kind of money. So he offered to pay for me. But as the time grew closer to going, I didn't want to go. So I tried what any other 17-year-old person would do, I tried to convince my brother to go. My mom told me that I had to go, because my cousin had already paid my way. So I went.
I don't remember much about the week at camp, but I do remember one night. I remember it very well. It was Wednesday, August 20th, 1991. We had church that night just like every other night. But this time the service was about the end times. It started out with music. The worship team played a song called "Billy waited too long". It was about a guy named Billy who rejected God & died, he waited to long. Well, the fact that my name is Billy, lets just say that it got my attention. Well, the speaker then spoke about the end times. He would read from the bible & then read the fulfillment of the prophecy from newspapers, from Time magazine, etc.
It got my attention. As he was sharing, a bat flew in the building. The speaker stopped & said that this was Satan trying to distract us, so he prayed. My cousin said that the previous year the power went out & they had to wait in the dark for a few minutes before the generators turned on. Well...the speaker then said, "If you are a believer, then I want you to leave the building quietly. If you would like to ask Jesus to be your Lord & Savior, then stay where you are. If you want to rededicate your life to Him, then you stay too" (That was totally the Lord, because I would have never gone forward).
So everyone left, except for the counselors & those who wanted to be saved. So I stayed. Well, my counselor told me that we needed to pray. I said, cool. Then he said do you want to go first? I told him that I did not want to pray out loud, I didn't know how to pray & I didn't want to make a fool of myself. So he said that he would lead me in a prayer & that I should follow him in it. So I did.
When we finished praying I went back to the cabin. Mind you, the whole week, someone was always in there. But this night it was empty. So I got on the top bunk bed. I started asking God, Why would you want me? I cuss, I party, I sleep with my girlfriend & I smoke, why would you want me? I had my cousin’s bible that he gave to me; it was all marked up & had papers in it. I had to go to the bathroom, so I did. I also prayed Lord, please don’t let anyone come in here & see me when I'm emotional. As I was getting back on my bed, I asked God again, why would you want me?
Just then a paper fell out of the bible. It read, "I love you very, very, very, very, very much", that was it for me, I was crying & I told God, "I believe you. I give you my life". I was totally amazed that God would answer my question literally and personally. It totally blew me away. And that’s how I met Jesus.
Do you know what is cool, God answered my little prayer too, and no one came into the cabin until after I was done weeping. So now when people ask me how did I find God? I tell them, I didn't. I tell then that God was never lost, I was lost. I didn't find God, He found me. And that is the day that my journey started with the Lord and it has been an incredible ride since.
