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What is Truth? The year was 1983. I was in my Sophomore year in high school and life was perfect. I was going out with a good looking cheerleader, I was in with the popular/drug crowd, and lived in a decent neighborhood. In my mind I was good to go, life was a carnival I figured take whatever you could and go as fast as you can. I wasn’t afraid to do anything and would often push the limits just to impress my friends. Yet as I stayed up in my room at night doing bong hits and reading US News and World Report, listening to the Doors and Led Zeppelin, I wondered what life was really about. I had no religious education at all and I thought myself to be open minded yet I still did not have a clue about why we were here, what life was all about, and wasn’t there something more than just good times and making money? I enjoyed going to beer parties with my friends and marijuana and other light drugs were part of my free wheeling lifestyle. I knew though there had to be more to life than having a good time, getting married, working for 40 years and then sitting on a rocking chair until you died. This was like a gnawing in my gut, and for the most part I could ignore it, if I just continued to live the cool life, I figured if I looked like I knew what was going on everyone else would think I did too and I would therefore be as cool as the next guy. Life was a blast, great friends a babe for a girlfriend and almost no responsibility. My mom and dad were not real happy with my bad grades and being home only once and a while. My parents marriage was coming apart and I usually spent the weekends hitchhiking with friends around the area or crashing at parties and abandoned houses.I started to do every drug I could get my hands on and dragged many of my friends into deeper drug use as well. But I still knew that there was something deeper to life yet I could not really find it. On the weeknights I would stay up at night getting stoned in my basement room while my dad was drinking himself to sleep slamming one gin and tonic after the next. Sometimes I would start crying thinking about the fate of world, nuclear arms, people starving, hatred, hopelessness, really what the in the heck was this whole life about anyway? It was insanity, I couldn’t keep it together I began carving things in my arms and almost died one night huffing glue. I knew that I was born to loose. Smoke another joint, go to another beer party, stop thinking too deep man, just drink the wine of pleasure, after all what else is there? I’ll probably be sitting in my dads shoes in 20 years anyhow trying to endure life just like him, or if I am lucky just dead. That summer I spent a week at the county fair with my friend whose family would show their cattle and we would sleep overnight in the barns drinking beer with his older brothers and sisters. I had done this before the previous year and it was a lot of fun hanging out with the older crowd and getting crazy. One afternoon though while wandering around I noticed a certain booth at the fair which broadcast the message, “Are You Going to Heaven or Hell?”. I thought what a ghastly thing to say at such a happy fair. I tried to walk quickly and get out of range from that booth when the eyes of one of the young men from behind the booth beckoned me over, although I was spooked by the nature of the booth, the look on this mans eyes was one of honesty and kindness, so despite his bow tie and thick glasses I lowered my standards to and I walked over and began to talk to him. I told him I thought I was going to go to heaven because I was basically a good person and never hurt anyone. He said that was not good enough for God’s requirements, and then began to explain that Jesus was a sacrifice for our sins and only through Him could we enter Heaven. As he was telling me this, I was struck at the utter truth of what he was saying, I can’t say how I knew but instinctively what he said made perfect sense. Part of me wanted to run or just walk away and forget what he was telling me, I mean didn’t I have everything: a pretty girl, good friends, youth and a free spirit? Yet to be honest I knew that I was living a lie, trying to be cool in front of everyone else was a facade I would try to portray while I could buy some time to figure out what life was “really” about. I had no idea what was going on, I cried and wept over the condition of the world, my dad, and my own sense of hopelessness at night down in my basement room when no one else saw. But the other part of me was intrigued and excited by this message. If I just kindly said no thanks and walked away before anyone ‘cool’ could see me I would be off the hook and this Jesus stuff would be an uncomfortable memory. Yeah why take a chance with this stuff sweep it under a rug and party on! On the other hand could it be true? Could I believe in someone who would never let me down and could take care of anything? It was almost way too good to be true, my heart began to race as he explained further this amazing love story of which I was the object of His love. At the end he asked me if I wanted to pray to God and ask for his forgiveness, for a split second I wavered and then suddenly I said yes..... I would. I began with a rather non-chalant prayer then he stopped me and said solemnly if you really want God to listen be completely honest. So I began once again with as much sincerity to God as I could muster, asking for Jesus to please come into my heart and wash away my sins. Wash away my sins He did. When I was finished he assured me that if I truly meant what I prayed I was guaranteed to go to heaven. I was overjoyed! Could it really be true? Could I really count on that promise? If it were indeed true, wasn’t the rest of life rather inconsequential? I walked away from that booth skipping like a calf that had been penned up for years. I was thoroughly enveloped by a warm and loving embrace it was like pure love flowing from heaven into my heart, the likes of which I had not previously known. I kept looking up thinking that I really am going to heaven, it was almost too much to comprehend, actually my face hurt after a while because I could not stop smiling. Yes at the core of my being I knew it was true, absolutely true! For the next few months major changes began to take place in my life, I started going to the church that had put on the booth, and on my own started reading the bible all the time. I found real and sincere people that I soon called brothers and sisters. Everything I read in the bible was jumping off the pages and I could not believe how a 2000+ year old book was making perfect sense of my life! I now said absolutely no swear words which I swore profusely before and every time I lusted or smoked pot now I felt absolutely terrible about it. My friends began asking me about all this religious talk telling me if I didn’t knock it off I would loose all my popularity. My parents and family laughed at my faith, but Jesus was as real to me as my closest friend! I carried my bible with me everywhere I went in high school and my heart was greatly burdened knowing so many did not know what real love was. Some of my friends thought I was in a cult and word soon spread not to go near me. My mom called her brother to talk some sense into me. He was sort of a crazy ex-hippie with a lot of pride, sort of a self-made-man. He said only fools believe in religion and I need to get serious with life and think about family heritage. I could only try to explain how real this was and if only he could see how much God loves him, but he said he hated Christians and thought they were weak. I broke up with my girlfriend and told her Jesus wanted me to walk in purity now and I could not continue to date her, my drinking and marijuana habits began to die off, and I tried to win as many as I could to tell them of the FREE GIFT of eternal life! Most people shook their heads and avoided me but I didn’t care because I was on a mission to bring as many as I could over to the kingdom of light. Strangest thing of all many of my friends in high school who were regular church goers would have nothing to do with me. By my senior year in high school, I was nominated for the most changed life and received a certificate for that, and I also made the honor role that last year. I spent many evenings studying God’s word and praying with Christian friends, I even had a chance to preach about God’s love at a number of outreaches in my home town. The most awesome thing about accepting Jesus Christ was that he now dwells in my heart and I am a new person, I have been completely changed from the inside out. I no longer wonder about truth, I know truth,.... for the truth resides in me. There is a power that is at the core of every particle of matter that reigns in my heart, Jesus transformed my life and his power has saved my soul. Lost, hopeless, cold, empty, and scared.....now I know my destiny and the hope of soon leaving this temporary body and being joined with Him. The fullness of joy, love, and peace in my life is unbelievable, and there is no more fear only power and a sound mind. Now years later I have seen my twin brothers accept Jesus, my mother came to Christ and recently my dad after loosing his second wife and his career over alcohol and drugs, has been marvelously born-again after accepting Christ in a cornfield in the rain on his knees praying for 7 hours. Many of my old friends have been born again as well. It is hard to imagine the simple message that Paul the apostle right down to Billy Graham preaches can change a life so dramatically. This is the strongest evidence today of the reality of God’s power, to all who believe he gave the power to become the sons of God. Today if you hear his voice please do not harden your heart to the love of Christ. There is nothing worth more than to know Him, please do not cling to sin, give your whole heart to the truth. God bless You, Francis Peck Click HERE to return to the edited story Click HERE to create a banner that links to this story! Your e-mail address will be kept private!
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