I Never Knew That It Could Be This Good

    "Life is just a bummer."  "It doesn't matter what I do, it just
isn't good enough."  "I work all week to make a paycheck and the
government takes too much.  I pay the bills and there is nothing left
over."  "I end up spending the weekend just trying to get into the
mood to go back to work Monday."  The kids scream all the time and I
just can't stand it any more."

    "I wonder why other people seem to make it just fine and I can't?" 
"Why do other people seem happy when I am bursting on the inside?" 
Why can't the wife (or husband) just leave me alone and quit nagging
me all the time?"  "Can't you kids see that I'm busy, quit all that
fighting and go play in the freeway or something?"  I wonder if God
would send me to hell, like some say, if I just ended it all?"

    "God?"  "I haven't thought about him for some time."  "I really
wonder if he cares."  "I wonder if Jesus might have really been the
Son of God?"  "If that's so, what would that have to do with me?" 
"I've got a Bible around here somewhere, I wonder what that book
really says?"  "I don't guess that I have ever really read it."  "Come
to think of it, I really don't know anything about God or Jesus except
what they told me when I was a kid, back when my parents forced me to
go to church."

    "Let's see, now."  "John 3:16 & 17 says that God gave us his only
son so that we wouldn't perish but live forever with Him."  "Just
think, he didn't come to condemn me, but to save me."  "If anyone
needed saving, it's me."  "There has to be a way out of my situation."

    "What's this?"  "I John 1:9 says that if I will just admit to my
sins, then he will forgive me for what I have done and he will then
help me to do it right."  "The Lord knows that I have done enough
wrong in my life."  "It just seems like I can't do anything else, no
matter how hard I try."  "Maybe there is hope for me after all."

    "Wow, this is great."  "In Romans 10:9 it says that if I will just
confess and be open with others that Jesus is the Lord of my life, he
will save me."  "It can't be that simple."  "On the other hand, that
may not be that simple since so many have lost their lives for
believing in Jesus."  "But then too, it's got to be better than what
I'm going through now."

    "Lord Jesus, I want what you have to offer."  "I need to know you
so much, will you take me too, as you have saved so many others?" 
"Would you give me your Holy Spirit to guide me so that I can finally
do something with my life."  "Whatever you want me to do just to be
right."  "I give myself to you."  "Make me into a servant."

    "I can't believe it."  "Jesus has accepted me."  "Finally I have a
reason to live."  "It's kind of scary not knowing everything that the
Lord has in store for me, but Lord I trust you to do what is right." 
"After all, you made me and you know what is going to happen in the
future."  "Whatever you want or ask of me has got to be all right." 
"There's still a lot to learn, but this is great."

Frank Cooke