A Matter of Faith

By Carol Round

AND THAT HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
”Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

I grew up attending a small church that was only a block from where my sister and I grew up. We walked to Sunday school each week.

Eventually I drifted away from the church. And though I have always believed in God, I didn’t know Him.

We can attend church every time the doors are open. We can listen to the sermon, sing hymns of praise, participate in church activities and still walk out the door without knowing the Lord personally.

About six years ago, I realized that something was missing in my life. I didn’t know what it was. I just felt this gnawing emptiness inside that nothing could ease.

Shopping for clothes, shoes, purses and jewelry gave me a temporary high. Staying busy to occupy every waking moment didn’t fill that hole. Escaping through reading one fiction book after another provided no relief. Working harder to earn more money couldn’t fill me up. Neither could the various dating relationships I had.

Nothing could fill that void in my heart except a personal relationship with my savior. He continued to patiently knock at the door until I opened it and let Him in. And that has made all the difference.

God’s patience with me has helped me to be more patient with those around me. His acceptance of me—faults and all—has made me less critical of others. His willingness to forgive me has led me to forgive those who have hurt me. By His grace, I am a new person.

I sometimes refer to myself as the “old Carol” and the “new Carol” when talking about the change in me. Those who know me best have seen the transformation.

Another word for transformation is adaptation. The definition of adaptation “is the acquisition of modifications in an organism that enable it to adjust to life in a new environment.”

I have willingly allowed the Lord to transform me so that I can adjust to life in a new environment—an environment of love and acceptance because He first loved and accepted the person I was and who I have become through a personal relationship with Him.

I am still working—with His help—on becoming the woman He created me to be. I am a work-in-progress like the pieces of a puzzle that must patiently be fitted together to form a picture.

Many people have the pre-conceived idea that when you accept the Lord into your life, all of your troubles will magically disappear. Actually, my disappointments, my heartaches and serious illnesses increased—but so did my faith.

When I began to feel unfulfilled and empty, I think Jesus was knocking louder. His knock was more urgent. He was preparing me for what was to come.

I’m so thankful that He kept knocking—so blessed that He didn’t give up on me.

Do you hear Him knocking at your door? Open it. Let Him in.