Surprised by Truth

Growing up, my parents taught me what I believed was the truth. I had no reason to doubt that what they said was honest, accurate, authentic and genuine. 

I was taught to respect God and my parents who, in my opinion, were just below God on the ladder of hierarchy.  

I was instructed to have high regard for my elders and those in authority; grandparents, priests, teachers, and policemen. 

Mom and Dad emphasized that rules were made to be followed, not broken and consequences undoubtedly followed on the heels of any infraction. 

Finally, it was imperative to always tell the truth and never lie.  

I believed everything my parents taught me until the day Dad ended his life by suicide. Then, like a tsunami his suicide wiped out everything I once believed as true. 

At the age of thirteen, I believed my dad’s self destruction made his life, his faith and his love for me seem more like a lie than the truth. Those truths that had once given me parameters and security were now void. Without them, I sought the truths from the culture of my day hoping they’d give me the security I’d lost.

Skipping church, and school I disregarded God, and my teachers. I ignored  the law, and discovered marijuana. It became my preferred way of escaping from reality and at the same time, giving me some pleasure. 

Growing into a young adult, I left home. I went to college and set my sights on the security that I believed a good job could give me. 

Encountering Truth

Then I came face to face with Truth for the first time in my life. 

Try as I might, I was unable to secure that job that I’d counted on. Instead, I found myself in the dregs of defeat and hopelessness. In that frame of mind, I seriously considered following in my father’s footsteps and contemplated my own suicide. Instead though, Truth showed up unexpectedly.

Prior to thinking about ending my life, the previous Sunday, I’d visited a church with a friend. Though I’d not darkened the doorway of any church since my father’s suicide, I was mysteriously compelled to do so that particular Sunday. 

While there, the preacher preached on the simple truth of the gospel; Christ died for you, Christ conquered sin and death for you and invites you to accept and believe the truth.

Then, while in the dregs of my defeat and hopelessness, that simple gospel message played itself out in the form of words and an image. 

First, there was the audible voice that said, “You could choose life.” Then there was the image of Jesus, standing on top of a stone wall, tossing me a rope and inviting me to let him help me climb over what seemed like an insurmountable obstacle; my disbelief. 

Thankfully, Truth, the person of Jesus and not a concept, showed up at just the right time. 

Why Bother?

Why bother being surprised by Truth? Truthfully, I’ve found Truth to be a great big, good and lasting surprise.

P.S.  I wrote the story of my journey to forgiveness for those who, like me, know they need to change, but are not quite sure where to start. You can find A Heart’s Journey To Forgiveness at Redemption Press and Amazon.