A Giant Ruler

When I was a little girl of about 7 years old, I got to go to what I remember as my first Vacation Bible School.  Your Daddy and I were living with our parents in Baltimore, Maryland.  Grandaddy and Grandma were attending a little church called Dundalk Free Methodist Church.  Even today I can easily remember all the nooks, crannies, and special hiding places in that church.  Grandaddy cleaned the building for a few years and we had lots of hours to explore.

At V.B.S. that year there was a special speaker.  He was a man who did lots of illusions or "magic tricks" as object lessons.  I can almost see him now in my memory.  One of the nights of V.B.S. he did a trick about a giant measuring stick.  He said it would measure to see if someone was good enough to get into heaven.  But, it didn't matter what the person had done, there was nothing good enough to make the ruler reach up to heaven.  He talked about how there are none righteous, no not one.  He mentioned how all how have sinned and no one person deserves to go to heaven where God is holy and perfect.

I recall thinking about all the bad things I did each day - including lots of mean and ugly fights and arguements with my brother and lots of lies.  I knew that if the ruler was real, I would not measure up.  That evening the man asked if any children wanted to know about how to measure up in God's eyes that they could talk with him after the service.  He told about the only way to do it being because of the wonderful gift of salvation made possible through God's son - Jesus.  I knew I needed to talk to the man.

After the service I went to the side room near the piano and waited my turn. I made the decision that night to ask God to forgive me of all my sin.

I pray for each of you boys as you grow and that you will know with no doubts that God loves you and wants to forgive you of all your mean sins.  I never regretted my choice that night and never doubted that God had given me the gift of new life in Christ.  Jesus, who had no sin at all, paid for all our bad lies and meanness on a cross with his own blood and his own life.

I got to visit that little church the last time I was in the States and had Uncle Byron take my picture in the front of the building.  I got to walk down the aisles and touch the spot where I sat and talked to the man that night.  It was real.

Now I work hard so that others in places far off from Maryland can have the great privilege to hear the Gospel story and know Jesus as their own Savior and Lord.

Take care and check back next week for another story!

Aunt Michele

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.