“…we have fixed our hope
on the living God, who is the Savior of all…”
1 Timothy 4:10 (ESV)
The Lord is my Savior…
We may say those words many times as we seek to live Christian lives, but until we experience Christ in action, understanding His saving grace remains purely hypothetical. Only when we experience Him as our personal savior does the mystery of faith become steadfast in our lives.
When I was a young teenager, the neighborhood I lived in grew to be less safe. The city had hit hard economic times and houses were boarded up. Muggings became a growing concern in the once peaceful neighborhood.
I was walking home alone from my girlfriend’s house which was a couple of blocks away. A group of young men across the street started to make inappropriate racial comments about me. I was acutely aware of the uncomfortable situation that might occur. Moving ahead with determination, I prayed for the Lord to help me.
Out of nowhere, a boy from my class appeared by my side. The trash talk stopped from the group. He stayed with me until I was safely home. That was the first time I was frightened in my neighborhood and was so grateful when this person, a boy I barely knew, came to help me.
Years later, my husband became critically ill.
All the medical advancements in the world were not going to cure him. However, through faith and guidance from my pastor, I learned to give the heartache to God. I prayed every day for God to see me through the ordeal of caregiving as my husband grew weaker and spoke less and less.
When the time came for him to die, my husband emerged from his silence and sang Amazing Grace two times before making his departure. I truly believe an angel of mercy took him to the Lord.
The same day I had a heart attack and, through circumstances guided by the hand of God, I was rushed to the hospital and had surgery. I joke that God didn’t want me that day—but I was ready to go, for my life as I knew it was over.
Several weeks later, during a grief-stricken moment, I ran a red light and missed a car by inches. Once through the intersection, I pulled to the side of the road and cried. God saved me once again. There is a reason I am alive: I have a purpose in living now with Christ by my side.
The Lord is indeed my Savior… A Grateful Believer