Shomer
Group: Admin
Posts: 195
Member No.: 12
Joined: 30-April 07
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My name is Arron, I’m 16, and this is the story of how Jesus Christ changed my life.
From a very early age, I was a rebel. At school, at home, in public, everywhere. I was a bully – it made me feel big, when really I was just a lonely person inside. I was then bullied, because I decided not to bully anymore – not because my character had changed, but because it just didn’t thrill me anymore. I’d found other ways to do that.
I was a thief. A good one too. I was a pickpocket, a shoplifter, a burglar, the lot. I never stole because I wanted things – I stole because I viewed it as a display of my own skill and cunning – it made me feel big and clever. I wasn’t. I was really just alone, and shrinking into a very small and narrow minded person.
I used to hurt people – I found sick joys in making other people cry. I’d do whatever I could to reduce people to tears – mind games, steal things, tell lies, confuse people… even beat people. Looking back, I think I was sick inside. Deep down, I had no remorse, no caring, no love – I just didn’t give a ######. I wanted me, myself and I plus nothing.
When I moved here, to Easingwold, many of my ways hadn’t changed. I set out on telling lies, riddling people, mind games, making enemies, hurting people and stealing. Except something happened to me that had never happened before. I got caught.
One autumn afternoon, I saw that the office of the PE Department was open. I thought “Great!” – this was a thief’s dream – like Aladdin’s cave. I peaked in – no-one was around. I stole a mobile phone. A week later, I sold it – but it was returned due to there being no charger.
About a week later, I felt something I never had – guilt. It wasn’t a feeling I was accustomed to. I’d never felt badly about anything I’d done before, but I did this time. I walked into Mr. Neary’s office on a Monday morning, and in bits and pieces, I confessed my crime. I met the loving kindness of Jesus for the first time in that man’s office, but I didn’t know it until very much later.
I should’ve been expelled. I should’ve been jailed, in my opinion. I currently have what’s called a minor’s record, which is removed from my identity if I don’t re-offend by 18. On it are 7 counts of theft and 1 minor assault.
I cleaned up my act. For the first time in my life, I had experienced real forgiveness. I had experienced forgiveness that I didn’t deserve, and I felt better for it – I felt like I had a responsibility to the people who had forgiven me not to let their forgiveness be wasted. Mrs. Chidwick let me back in, on a tight leash and a close watch, but with a really loving and tender attitude, little did I know I was seeing the Love of Jesus there too, but wouldn’t know it until much later. I was truly sorry, I had truly changed, but not in the ways I was going to in the months to come.
In year 10, I eventually became best friends with Thomas Mackenzie – and he was a Christian. He used to tell me about Jesus sometimes, but I was into Energism and Life-Force at the time, and a firm aetheist. However, thanks to God, I was a Bible-Reader. I could memorize scripture, both small and large, and spout it off of the top of my head, a gift I am very thankful to God for these days. Tom was telling me about Jesus one day, and invited me to Church with His family. I went and I heard about how I needed forgiveness and Jesus to come into my life.
I left confused. I had heard things put to me in ways I hadn’t thought of before. Things that didn’t seem very… human. Supernatural, I would put it. I had Jesus on my mind from then on. I was always contemplating Jesus and His teaching.
Not so long after, one R.E Lesson, we were told to give our test papers to each other to mark – I turned round and asked Georgia Liddle to mark mine.
I’ll admit straight up that my motives were more than one – yes I respected her as a peer, but I also knew she was a Christian, and I wanted to see her comments on my theology – plus I had a huge crush on her. I flirted a little – she used a really ambiguous phrase in her test paper, something I still point out to this day, much to her dismay and embarrassment.
The next lesson we had, I asked her to explain a phrase I had heard – “Evangelical Christianity”. Evangelic means to be in keeping with the Gospel -- so Evangelical Christianity, the Christian Doctrine I now conform to, is a Doctrine which teaches the absolute authority of Jesus and the Bible over anything Man says, does or teaches. Basically, if it’s against the Bible, it’s wrong – as Christianity should be.
She gave me a small leaflet that invited me to her Church . I carry those same leaflets around with me nowadays.
I went to her Church – again, with duplicate motives. I still had a terrible crush on her. But, I had some Jesus to hear about, and I wanted to do that.
I can’t remember much of what was actually said in the second sermon I ever heard – but I do remember I heard that I was a sinner, and that I needed God’s forgiveness. I went outside after the sermon to go and think about it and Georgia came up to ask me what I thought. I told her I still doubted the existence of God, but admitted that if there was a God, I needed His forgiveness.
She did and said something just then that has stayed with me to this day, and will do for the rest of eternity -- in one movement and one sentence, she convince me there was a God.
She picked a flower from the ground, handed it to me and said “Just look at this flower – there’s no way something this complex was an accident, it had to have a designer.”
I’ve repeated that same phrase to other people when telling them about the Father, with much the same effect as it had on me – stark revelation.
I went to Tom’s Church again that night, and remember his mum telling me something on the way home… “Arron, you’re an empty vessel that needs to be filled.”
I got in, and no-one was home.
I went on the internet, as I am apt to do and I was thinking about Jesus and the Gospel for a long time. Then, I just burst into tears. I didn’t understand why – but I knew I had that feeling I didn’t like again; guilt. I felt so very guilty. I looked up at the sky and I cried out “Jesus, if you’re there, forgive me. Please, please forgive me.”
I went to bed, feeling oddly light, but really scared.
I was angry – not at anyone, but at that I couldn’t understand what was happening. I went to school the next day angry – I would only just talk to tom, and I wouldn’t even look at Georgia. After a while, I realised that I would have to talk to them seriously – they were the only ones who would be even mildly capable of explaining what the hell was happening to me.
That lunchtime, we went onto the front field, and sat in the middle alcove of the buildings, looking out at the sky. Little did I know that 20 mins later, I would be a Christian who had a personal relationship with God. They told me about how Jesus loved me, and wanted me to Love Him too. They told me that if I turned away from my Sin, and gave my life to Jesus, He would change me and save me – take me to heaven when I died. They left me to think. Almost as soon as they left, I prayed – really prayed, not just spoke into thin air, but approached God and was heard – for the first time in my life. I said “Jesus, I want to turn away from my Sin. I believe that you died for me, and I want you to have my life. I give you all I am.” After a few moments I said “Amen” as well – just because it felt right.
Then, I heard God’s voice. This is a memory that will stay with me forevermore. “Arron! I’ve been waiting for you. I have plans for you my Angel. I’m giving you my Holy Spirit – use it for My Glory.”
I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God came and filled me up -- I was a new person, with a new heart, new desires, as the Bible tells us. And I had a passion for the Lord that is unquenched still – and never will be. He had literally changed everything about me. I got home that night, and I swear I even looked different.
I walked into the Form Room and Tom took one look at me and knew what had happened to me.. He gave Georgia a thumbs in assembly and she understood too.
Since then, I’ve been in Love with Jesus and I always will be – He has saved me, changed me, and given me gracious gifts I don’t deserve.
None of us deserve this, but we can all get it. Because God loves us all – so much that He sent His one and only Son Jesus to die for us – that if we believe in Him, we will not perish, but receive everlasting life. Anyone that calls on Jesus will be saved. Anyone that comes to Jesus in Repentance and Faith will be saved and healed.
This is how I let Jesus change my life.
Let Him change yours, today.
Arron Cook, 16
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"Run, Run" the Law commands, But giveth neither feet nor hands, A greater Hope the Gospel brings, It bids thee fly and gives thee wings.
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180 Degrees, ...in the other direction...
