I once read a quote that I know from personal experience is very true. It says, “A well-ordered Christian household is a powerful argument in favor of the reality of the Christian religion,—an argument that the [non-believer] cannot [oppose].” Christian Education p. 222.1
How often do we underestimate the influence of our everyday life and an intentional and purposeful walk with God? Reflecting on this, I think of the profound influence a friend and her family had on me early in life. It changed me forever.
I met my best friend in the 4th grade, around age ten. Back then, after school, our main activity wasn't playing video games or watching TV. Instead, we loved playing with Barbie dolls. I especially enjoyed visiting her house to play, as it almost always meant I could stay for dinner. Their food was simply fantastic, making each night feel like a Sunday dinner. I was especially impressed that they ate together at a set dinner table as a family. In my home, we didn’t do that. We usually each took our plate of food and ate in front of a TV, which was in every room of the house except the bathrooms. Growing up, even the kitchen had a small TV, which seemed normal to me. I didn’t think much of it until I noticed how other families managed their lives without so many television sets.
At some point, my friend’s mother started inviting me to join them for “family worship” after each dinner meal. I wondered, “What is that?”, but happily agreed. After finishing dinner and cleaning up, we would gather in the living room, where her dad played the piano, and they sang a song or two from a black book I later recognized as a church hymnal. Then he would read from the Bible, followed by a prayer. I was amazed. I didn’t understand his words, but I felt it was meaningful. I couldn’t grasp why my friend Debbie often fell asleep during these moments. I was eager to understand what it all signified and admired the warmth of their family unity. In my young mind, it all felt very right.
One thing I didn’t understand was why we couldn’t play with our dolls on Saturdays. She mentioned something about being in church, and I couldn’t understand why. My Saturdays usually meant sleeping late, watching cartoons, and basically feeling bored all day.
She started inviting me to her church, and my Saturdays became so enjoyable. She attended a Seventh-day Adventist church just a short walk from my house. Her family would pick me up around 9 a.m., and sometimes I wouldn’t return home until 11 p.m.! Her church offered youth “Sabbath School” classes, similar to the Sunday School classes I occasionally went to on my own. But these were so much more interesting to me. I actually learned things from the Bible that had personal meaning for me. She was in the youth gospel choir, and the music was thrilling to hear. There were so many young people in her church! Often, they ate lunch in the basement after the service, and if not, I was at her home, or another young person’s home, for what appeared to me to be a Thanksgiving dinner every week!
The afternoons at church included youth meetings, which were called MV meetings. I think it stood for Missionary Volunteers. We learned Bible verses, went through something called the Morning Watch, played Bible games, did skits, and I always got something very substantial out of it all. The day would end with a vespers service, or a closing thought to take us into the new week. After sunset, they often had a night of socials. I couldn’t believe life could be this good! I had never experienced anything like it before meeting my dearest friend, Debbie, and her family. I fell in love with Jesus. I took Bible studies with the pastor. Needless to say, I got baptized and joined the church at age 14!
The icing on the cake was when she and her family would take me to something called “camp meetings”. Every summer, for two successive Sabbaths, we would travel an hour north to a lovely campground with big tents. Hundreds of people would come from all over to have worship services under those big tents. Rousing singing, wonderful messages, and new friends I experienced every summer. To this day, every summer, I still attend as many camp meetings up and down the East Coast as I can find. Those have been some of the most life-changing worship services of my life over the last almost 50 years. What a blessing!
Because of one family who were simply living their faith authentically, with consistency and conviction, I learned about and embraced the best thing that ever happened in my life! They introduced me to Jesus. Not just someone to hear about every week in church, but Someone to live for. Someone who loved me through His church – the body of Christ. I realized that He cared about how I lived, what I ate, and the activities I participated in. He wanted my life to have purpose and fullness. I learned that life could be fun, challenging, and exciting when I lived for Him.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church, which I was introduced to, even gave me an opportunity to get the best possible education to become an RN. I was mind-blown by attending college-level classes where the professors prayed before the lectures. My nursing professors always connected the content to be taught with Biblical principles. I am forever grateful for my experiences in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It isn’t a perfect place, as no church is, but despite the controversies, I personally am not going anywhere. My early exposure to a powerful argument lived out in the lives of the many people I met in that church long ago sealed the deal for me. My allegiance is to Jesus Christ and His Bible truth. This truth has set me free. My life is so much better as a result of what I have learned and experienced from the Word of God and in this church. Yes, I have plenty of problems in my life. The church has problems too. Life is very hard. But where else can I go? This is home.
Call to Action
My prayer life now focuses on asking God to fill me with more of Him, on obeying His Word, and on helping me live a life that pleases Him and reflects something others may want to experience as well. I want my life to be well-ordered and to reflect the power of Jesus Christ. I want to do for others what my friend Debbie and her precious family, along with the members of my first Adventist church experience, did for me. I want to let my light shine. Will you pray for God to let your life shine for Him today?
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
