Luke

„Aren't you interested in a seminar on the global economic crisis?‘ they asked me. „Sure,“ I said and a little later followed the words of a speaker in the Adventist Church.

I never had a particular aversion to God. But no one had ever told me what the gospel actually is. Somehow our pastor had probably forgotten that during confirmation classes. So the devil knew I was in the clear and I was allowed to spend half my childhood peacefully in front of the computer screen - keen to keep my circle of friends as small as possible.

But during my graduation holiday, I was suddenly struck by a fist of realisation. I realised that my everyday life was about to change radically. In my need for stability, I tried to cling to everything that seemed to give me support. So I built my supposedly secure foundation on cliques of friends. I adapted my behaviour to them in order to be as accepted as possible: Drinking alcohol and always looking for a girlfriend. The main thing was to go to the party with the best reputation: My value was defined by the opinion of others.

But this bubble didn't last long. I began to realise that I wasn't living my life for myself, but for the need for support in the clique. After my pitiful attempt at a romantic relationship failed, my life went downhill. That's when the second fist of realisation hit me. I asked myself the question: „Which of your friends can you really talk to about your personal feelings?“ I could only think of one person (and here I suspect God's guidance today): a former classmate. I had the impression that there was peace around her and that her character was genuine and not fake.

So I made my way to her house on foot. Thank God she was there. We took the dog for a walk and the dark oppression was gone - even though we didn't even talk about „personal feelings“. I went for more walks with her after that. It was like balm for my soul.

One evening, her parents invited me to the lecture I mentioned. That was my first contact with the Adventist Church. Friday evening, Sabbath morning and again in the evening. It was the interpretation of Daniel 2 that opened my eyes: there is more to the Bible than pulp and ink. I was also taken along to the Adventist Youth and immediately felt accepted. There was a bunch of young, authentic people who had something I didn't have. I longed with every fibre of my being to have it. Four months later, I accepted the Bible and God as the foundation and guide for my life. I decided to accept this book as truth from the first page to the last (it was hard, but an alternative was unthinkable). From then on, I wanted to make all decisions according to what God revealed to me through his Word. I did not yet understand who Jesus was; I had not yet received a Bible lesson, but I knew one thing: I was blind and now I see.