When I heard about Jesus

 On a Tuesday morning in March of 1974, I was sitting by myself in the cafeteria of Central Piedmont Community College smoking and drinking coffee. I was on the GI Bill which paid all of my tuition with some left over for books. I was also playing drums with a local cover band, The Close Connection. We had a great agent who booked us in some great gigs, and I was single. I did all the things young men did back in those days, and being a musician to boot, I was quite popular with the young ladies. But on this particular Tuesday morning my life changed forever. 

Two young ladies came to me and asked if they could talk with me, I said yes. It turns out one of them wanted to tell me about Jesus and my desperate need for forgiveness (the other had ulterior motives I found out later). She was very persuasive even when I told her, "maybe later, say, when I'm 30." She said, "So, you're saying you're just not ready?" I said, "Yeah. I'm just not ready." She said, "Without Jesus you can't be ready." That hit home. It all made sense. I, out of the clear blue sky, suddenly believed in Jesus. I knew I was forgiven in that moment, and I began to weep. And for the first time in my life I experienced peace, the kind that passes all understanding. It was an amazing moment; It was an amazing experience; I was born of the Spirit, "born again," right there in the cafeteria of CPCC. 

Some of my new Christian friends suggested I stay with the band, "you can be a great witness to them," they said. And I was. I was blessed to share the gospel with several people in the lounges and clubs we played in and it was wonderful. No one in the band ever came to faith in Jesus, not for the lack of me trying. But I did see several people in the clubs come to faith. And now 50 years later, I'm happily married (remarried after the death of my wife of 31 years in 2005) and have a great relationship with my children from my previous marriage.

I would tell anyone the same thing that young lady told me, "Without Jesus you can't be ready." "All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Rom. 10:13).

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