A New Friend
It took years for Stefanie Coutinho to fit in. In elementary school teachers reprimanded her for asking too many questions; fellow students simply avoided her.
It was only in high school that she connected with the popular crowd. Suddenly she had four best friends and enjoyed having fun, being popular and dreaming of future success.
When her family emigrated from the United Arab Emirates to Canada, Stefanie was eager to experience life in the Western world and become part of it. The downside was making new friends.
Her natural shyness prevented her from getting close to anyone, but in her second year at university, Stefanie decided to do something about it. Since her family had a Christian heritage in India, she looked for a Christian group on campus. The weekly meetings were fun. The music was good and the people friendly, Stefanie kept going back.
She was amazed to hear students talk about God in a personal way, as if they knew him. “For me, that was totally foreign,” says Stefanie. “ But it got my attention.”
Still there was one particular question Stefanie wanted answered. “How is Jesus’ death on the cross relevant to my life?” she asked.
She continued to attend the weekly meetings, but it wasn’t until she watched Charles Stanley, a televangelist, preach one night on the meaning of the cross that things finally started to make senses.
Shortly afterwards, at another student gathering, the band was playing a song called “Amazing Love.”
“I remember looking at the lyrics on the screen: ‘Amazing love, how can it be, that you, my king, would die for me?’ for the first time I realized I really wanted Christ in my life,” says Stefanie. “I prayed and asked God to give me the kind of relationship with him that everyone around me had.”
“Now developing my relationship with Jesus Christ is a priority in my life,” she says “This is not just a spiritual experience; it’s a process of getting to know a real person. He has a character and I can know it.”
It doesn’t mean that now life is perfect. There are still days when Stefanie feels hurt or lonely. “ At those times, I can’t wait to go and talk to God,” At those times, I can’t wait to go and talk to God,” she says. “I know I can be honest about how I feel. When I go to God, I say, “ God you are the only one I feel I can trust. I am hurting, but show me what Jesus would do.’
Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?
Living with hope
If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.
Is this the life for you?
If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.
