Throughout the ages, people have been drawn to Christianity in a variety of ways. There are some who have a keen sense of Christ’s presence at a very early age thereby committing to follow Jesus throughout life.

There are others that are drawn gradually later in life.

This could be due to a number of factors; positive Christian role models, philosophical searching for truth and meaning in life, and hitting rock bottom with nowhere else to turn. Regardless of the reason, it is God who chooses the time, method and place to inspire us through the Holy Spirit. Of course, we must first be open to His calling.

As for me, I grew up in a large Catholic family where attending Mass was a requirement. In a sense, faith/Christianity was something that was “forced” upon me and my siblings – we did not have a say in the matter. Fortunately, in addition to attending weekly Mass, prayer was also a part of daily life – before meals and at bedtime.

Each night mom would recite the Lord’s Prayer as well as thank God for the many blessings that had occurred during the day. This, along with my Confirmation at age 12, established a base. I was certainly open to the faith but it wasn’t until I was 19 that I made a conscious decision to turn my life over to Christ. Somehow I had gotten hold of a copy of “The Power of Positive Thinking,” by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.

Early on in the book, Dr Peale admonishes the reader to “commit yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ” As a Catholic, this was somewhat foreign to me. But I decided at that moment I would commit my life to Jesus, kneeling down on my bedroom floor I literally asked Jesus to come into my life. It felt strange to do this.