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Michele
I was raised in a
Jewish home and went to an Orthodox temple, where I was taught
about the Messiah and how our people are awaiting His return.
At the age of 7, after
learning about the Messiah, I prayed my very first prayer to
G-d, (this is something G-d has allowed me to remember). I asked
Him if I might in my lifetime get to know who the Messiah is -
how wonderful that would be.
I
confessed to Him that I realized this was a very BIG prayer for
such a LITTLE girl. 40-some years later
my prayer was answered. Praise G-d.
At the age of 19, I
went to a business college. There I met my first non-Jewish
friend. Kathy Blanca was Catholic and we became close, spending
hours talking about our different religions. One year Kathy
invited me to Christmas Eve Mass (this was the first time I was
ever in a church) and dinner at her home. At the table, she sat
me next to her Aunt - who had left the nunnery after 25 years. I
did not want to sit next to her Aunt being very shy and not
knowing what we would possibly have in common. I learned later
that Kathy's Aunt was aware of my concern. That evening at
dinner she put her arm around me and said, "You know, Michele,
you and I have something very much in common." "What would that
be?" Her answer was that she was married to a Jew - Jesus.
Growing up Jewish, you
just do not think about Jesus, let alone mention His name. For
us it was understood that He was a good man and good teacher,
and that was about it. You just never thought or talked about
Jesus, let alone thought of him as a Jew.
At the age of 23 I got married. My husband had just come home
from Viet Nam where he saw many young soldiers die. He said
there was no G-d. I was young and impressionable, and although I
wanted to believe in G-d, I believed what he said instead -
after all he was my husband and he would know. (That just was
the thinking in the 1960s.)
At the age of 30, my
father died very suddenly. In my grief I turned back to G-d and
as I began to talk to Him again, I could feel His presence. Yet
as I started to heal and get back into my routine, I began to
turn away from my Loving Heavenly Father.
 Eight
years later at age 38, I found myself going through a divorce
and once again I cried out to G-d, asking Him for His
forgiveness. He was so good and loving to me and I just seemed
to mess everything up. I had so much and He answered so many of
my prayers without my realizing it. I had a beautiful family, I
was in business for myself and yet everything was just slipping
away. I also felt I did not have the right to come to Him, since
I had my health and my dearest and closest friend, Francine
Marcus, was dying of cancer with two small children and a
husband who left her one month after she found out she had
cancer. She had been a tower of strength to me and here I now
was feeling sorry for myself.
One day while praying
(and not actually feeling justified to even ask for His help), I
remember feeling like I was whisked up into heaven standing in
line with 10s of 1000s of others ahead of me waiting for my
prayer to be heard. After this experience, I felt compelled to
go to a bookstore. Once in the store, I went right to a book
entitled “With G-d All Things Are Possible!" This was a
"handbook of life" from the Life-Study Fellowship, a book of
prayers, and each prayer ended with "In Jesus' name. Amen."
Of course, I quickly put the book in my nightstand, right next
to my Jewish Bible - which I never read but also needed to have
close by. I had received this Bible after graduating from Sunday
School at the age of 13.
As I now look back, for the next eight years there were many
ways in which G-d was working in my life. For the most part, I
would say He was teaching me to become humble - after all I was
this Jewish Princess with her nose way up high in the air. At
the age of 46, I was speaking with another lady friend about how
empty I always felt inside and how it seemed all the people in
my life I loved the most left me or turned away. Yet at the same
time I felt Jesus was in my heart. I could not verbalize this to
anyone, and could not understand it or explain why this was
happening.
My new friend told me to pray to G-d as if He was right here
listening to me and tell Him what I needed. So I prayed in
silence with all my heart and asked G-d for peace, love, and
happiness for myself, and for my husband and children. This was
in February of 1993, and I prayed that faithfully 3 times a day
every day for a week.
On March 6, 1993 I woke up and I was filled
with an overwhelming peace. I was an empty vessel the day
before, now I was filled. I quickly went over to Tina’s house
and we rejoiced together. Then Tina
quoted Scripture:
“I tell you that in the same way
there will be more rejoicing in heaven over
one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:7
She then gave me a Gideon Bible which
I still have. We spoke regularly for a year and then she moved away. During that
year she helped me with the doubts which would come in. I just did not have an
understanding of who Jesus really was.
As a Jew we were taught to believe in One G-d, so how can I believe in more than
one G-d? I was led by the Holy Spirit to Deuteronomy 6:4 - “Hear, O Israel: The
Lord our G-d, the Lord is one!” All of a sudden it was ok and it all made sense;
my eyes were opened the veil was removed.
In the weeks to follow, G-d and I
would talk mostly in my car on the way to work and He would just answer all my
questions. One day without asking, G-d told me Jesus was the Messiah. The tears
just ran down my face with unbelievable joy. My prayer as a seven year was
answered 39 years later, Praise G-d in the Highest.
Through the Holy
Spirit I learned that I was a sinner and sinned against G-d. By
His Grace and His love He sent his only Son, who was without
sin, to die for me and shed His blood that I may have eternal
life. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for me, that I may live with
you forever.
G-d is so Good All the Time!
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