Before I was even born.

I was raised as an atheist my whole life. It was a struggle to come to church and share my beliefs with my family. I grew up in a Catholic elementary school because it was the only school near my house. I learned nothing about Jesus there. The school was very strict and made me dislike Christians. I would go to that school and tell the kids that the Bible is “made up”. It was only much later in my life that I started questioning my beliefs.
In my grade 9 year I had few friends. I was addicted to porn, and I used it as an outlet. I would go through waves of depression and was looking for any way out. Along the way, I found new age spiritually and Islam, which both influenced me because of the people I was around. Everything I tried left me with more questions than answers. One night I was in such a dark place I remember crying out to God and just asking him if he was real. The next couple of days I just saw Jesus in everything: music, people saying Blasphemies and even TikTok.
Praying was my first leap of faith. I started praying for things in my life and I really saw God working things out for me. I got to know God and talk to him. I started asking for clarification on what is true and things I was curious about. One by one, my questions were answered. One day I just downloaded a Bible on my phone and read it with a completely open mind, always asking the Father for clarity along the way. I found out who this Jesus is that I had brushed off all my life as a fairy tale. I fell in love with Jesus, finding out how he took all the guilt and sins I had dug deep in my heart, taking my punishment for me.
I give thanks to God for knowing the life he has planned for me before I was even born, and for offering love and salvation to someone who’d gone against him his whole life. Choosing me as his child before I was even born.
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

~ Alfie