Occupation: Housewife

Former Occupation: Structural Engineer

     I was born in Detroit, Michigan; the third of five children.  My father worked at the power company, and my mother worked at a university.  When I was seven, we moved to Ann Arbor.   "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Daniel 12:4)

     We went to church a couple of times when I was a child, and I remember liking Sunday School.  One other time, I remember going to church with my grandmother.  When I was thirteen, my grandmother passed away.

     In school, I really enjoyed the subjects of Mathematics, Science, and English.  I excelled in those areas during my college preparation classes.  I also took some drafting classes and really liked them.  That made me start thinking about pursuing a career in engineering.   I went on to college, and graduated with a major in structural engineering.   At twenty-five years of age, I owned my own home, and was a structural engineer making big bucks.  "For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange of his soul?" (Mark 8:36,37)

     While in college, I had met a young man studying to be a medical doctor.  Five years later, we were married.  We lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and were blessed with two children.   My life was centered around our home and my work.  It seemed like I needed to get involved in some other activities, so I joined a ladies' softball team.  I joined one week, and that weekend, the lady in charge of the team invited me and the children to go along with her to a fair.  On the way there, she tried to give me her testimony of how she became a Christian.  I was polite to her and said that that was nice for her, but that it was just not for me.  The next morning I was delivered some devastating news.

     I went to work, but I was in no shape to do anything.  I told my boss what had happened, and he told me to take the day off.  I found myself, on the Monday morning, driving around the streets of Grand Rapids, not really knowing where to go or what to do.  I ended up at the doorstep of my new-found friend of the previous week.  Little did I know that she had been praying that God would bring people to her home, so she could tell them about Jesus.   There I was at her door.  She quietly listened to the flood of words that flowed out of my mouth, and of the tragedy that had just befallen me.

     All I can remember hearing her say was, "You need Jesus."  I said, "that is nice, but you do not understand.  I have so many troubles."  "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:28,29)  I had been exposed to religion so little when I was growing up, that God was far from my mind as being the answer to anything.

     I was 31 years old, a college graduate in engineering, and I had never read the Bible.  I thought I was a good, caring, loving person, but there I was facing a load that I could not engineer anything to support.  I needed help.  She then asked me, "If you were to die today, would you go to heaven?"  "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)   I looked at her, and surprisingly said, "You know, I do not know why, but I think that I am going to hell."  "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)

     I do not remember all that was said, but I soon found myself getting down on my knees.  There I was - praying with someone whom I barely knew, and praying to God, to whom I had never spoken.   I asked the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive me of my sins, and to save me.   "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 6:23)

     Since that time, I have seen the weight of sin lifted off of five other people in my family, as they, too, received the Lord Jesus Christ.  My friend, you may be able to support a nice home and an active lifestyle, but there is one load upon you that you cannot bear - your sin.   "For the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23)

     Will you now repent and let Jesus bear the load of your sin?