When I heard that, I knew that was what God would do for me if I let Him.  So I asked God to forgive me and thanked Jesus for dying for my unbelief and disobedience.  Suddenly, I experienced a huge relief inside – just like a big weight had been lifted off me.  Then I asked Jesus to come and live inside of me, and I felt a wonderful peace and joy that I'd never felt before. 

After that I found some Bible verses that helped me when a bad feeling would come back.  My favourite one is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

The following few summers I was incredibly blessed because I got to go to a Summer Bible Camp where I had my second God-encounter.  During Chapel one day, God deeply impacted me with a missionary call on my life that is still with me today.  Because of that, years later I was up the B.C. Coastline in a native fishing village with the North American Indian Mission when I met my husband, Malcolm.

The third encounter was when I was 13 years old.  I felt impelled to obey the Lord and be baptized.  He met me as I was coming up out of the water in a very powerful way.  I had a taste of His Presence like I'd never experienced before, that prepared me for a walk in the Spirit that would come later in my life.

Over the years He has given me countless opportunities to continue to learn to trust Him and serve Him.  Each one has also taken faith, just like the moment when I received His forgiveness for me.  But I know I am not alone.  He is always with me.  He gives me peace and comforts me.  His Word is my strength.  My favourite verses come from Psalm 34:1-10.