Believing

Its been some times since I've written. Been down with a broken back, an interesting experience. Lots of time to reflect. It is plain that Atheism is becoming popular in America and elsewhere these days. As a former Atheist myself I get it to a point. The point being until you look at the world we live in and as the saying goes, 'peace is seeing a sunset and knowing who to thank'.



It took me until around the age of twenty seven to take a look around and see that sunset for the first time. My movement from Atheism to being an Agnostic came in a bunker along the North Vietnamese border in Vietnam. Under heavy shelling from the north during the Tet Offensive, a fellow Atheist with me was screaming obscenities in Gods name towards the third guy in the bunker, a Southern Baptist who was praying for safety. I got unnerved and grabbed my partner and said, "Just in case theres anything to that stuff - shut up!"



I crawled out of the rubble an Agnostic. But I did nothing for years. Blessed to be married to a wonderful girl who just wanted me to go to church, any church, well - I didn't. Our first child was born, I overcame my alcoholism and was unhappy with the man I was. I was still hooked on adrenaline from Nam and was reading an adventure book called Fatu Hiva by Thor Heyerdahl. It was about his and his new wives experience living on the Pacific Island of Fatu Hiva for a year with nothing more than a machete and an iron pot.



Its a great story but I was sitting at lunch reading at Bill's Hilltop Restaurant in Akron, Ohio when it happened. He was talking about his college degree in biology and life on Fatu Hiva. He told about the incredible balance of nature, he went into beautiful detail and it happened, my light bulb came on. He explained that he was raised by one Roman Catholic parent and one Atheist. He said he did not know about organized religion but he knew beyond a shadow of a  doubt - there is a God. And in that instant i did too. It changed my life and sent me on a quest where I found Christ.



I thought of this today when I read the quote, "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible". Author unknown.



When I didn't 'get it' that quote was true, no proof was possible. Now that I 'get it', no proof is necessary although the proof is everywhere. When you believe, the proof is everywhere. May we turn to God for in Him and His Son Jesus Christ is the only salvation. We can all become better through Him.