Allison

Athens, Greece

Peace in the Chaos

When I was four years old, my family moved to Kanazawa, Japan for two years. Through the influence of Christian friends there, my parents encountered the gospel and decided to follow Jesus. When we moved back to America, life was chaotic.  Our house flooded.  My mom was sick. My grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. Everything in my family was going wrong.

In the midst of this chaos, my dad was incredibly calm. His response caught my attention, even though I was only six years old. One day, I was in my bedroom, sitting on the beige carpet and I asked him, “Why aren’t you and mom fighting anymore?” He explained that they’d decided to follow Jesus and that the peace came from God.

He went to another room and got a little booklet. He read it to me, explaining that God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life. Because of wrong things I do, I’m separated from God. God sent His Son Jesus as a solution, to reconnect us to God. It’s not just enough to know this. I must receive Jesus as Lord (or boss). I knew I had done wrong things, like lying to my sister. I don’t think I fully grasped it all, but I wanted that peace that my dad had and wanted to follow Jesus. So, I prayed—right there, sitting on the beige carpet in my bedroom.

After I began following Jesus, I was calmer, even when my mom was sick and our grandmother came to help out. I was able to be kinder to my sister. I was able to be loving toward new friends at school. Over the years, I understood more and more about God as I got to know Him more. Through many ups and downs, I’ve been able to be steady and peaceful based on my relationship with Jesus, not on my circumstances. Deciding to follow Jesus was the most important decision I’ve ever made. 

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