Every morning my Mom had "quiet time" in her special rocking chair near the window. She instructed us not to interrupt this morning ritual. One day, Mom’s bedroom door stood slightly open. I crept close, peeking through the tiny crack, and I could see Mom sitting in her chair with her eyes closed (praying, I figured). Suddenly, she opened her eyes and locked her gaze on mine. Smiling, she invited me inside.

I snuggled against her chest. "Mom, I want to ask Jesus into my heart."

"Why do you want to do that?" Mom queried, testing both my understanding and resolve.

"Because I love him"

"Why do you love him?"

I gave her that well-duh-look. "Because he loved me first."

Mom was convinced that I understood and led me in prayer.

From the beginning, I grabbed hold of God with all my heart. Later, when I began high school, something extra special happened. My sister was a freshman in college, and she had discovered Campus Crusade for Christ. As she attended Crusade meetings, more and more of her thoughts turned to following and loving Jesus.

One morning, I tried to sneak into my sister’s room and borrow her perfume. When I opened the door, I found my sister awake and reading. Since my sister didn’t have classes till around high noon, I rarely saw her (awake that is) in the morning. Hmmm. This was an interesting development. Even more peculiar, my sister greeted me with a smile instead of a snarl and offered to let me borrow her blouse. Will wonders never cease?

The next morning, I tried to sneak into my sister’s room and borrow some of her makeup. When I opened the door, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Here was my sister with her light on and reading—again. She lit up with a beatific smile and suggested I try her lip-gloss as well as eyeliner. "You know, you have such a pretty complexion. You’re really pretty, Sonjia."

Good-grief, it had to be the invasion of the body-snatchers.

Day after day, my sister was awake early in the morning, cheerfully reading. I noticed she was reading her Bible, and I thought to myself, "If the Bible can make that big a difference in my sister, then I want it, too!"

I saved babysitting money to buy my first "real"(not Precious Moments or some comic book version) Bible. I began reading my new Bible everyday. For the first time my relationship with God was profoundly personal. It was exciting.

Thanks Sis.