My First Encounter with Christ

I was born from a Catholic family. My mother is a devout Catholic, while my father does not have any religion, I think he is Buddhist hha but I never see him going to Vihara/ Monastery, and once he ever told my mother that he is interested in Christians, slowly I hope he will soon.

I have believed that Jesus is the Lord from a very little, but it seems I never have an intimate relationship with Him as a child; I just think He is a "far" Creator, while I'm only His creature.

I will tell the truth here. As a minority, I ever got discriminated by the age around 10 by my home-friends, until it ever crossed my mind to convert to other religion because at that time I was the only Christian and I was a little bit embarrassed as I was different from them. I remember the most that I said to my mom I wanted change my religion innocently as I think our country gives the privilege to the citizen to choose not my parents to determine it. But my mom never consider it as a serious thought (because at that time I was 10 😂) and she thought that it was joking, until now, praise the Lord that I still believe in Jesus. 😃

And when I graduated from elementary, I intended to enter the most favorite public school in my town, the school name is SMPN 19. I did not have any desire to enter another school except SMPN 19. And YESS I GOT REJECTED haha 😂. It broke my heart for a while until I entered to the most hated private school at that time because I knew that there were some friends from my elementary school that I avoided the most entered that school too. But what to be done, I had to go to school that time.

And what I can see now,

 That REJECTION was instead the BEGINNING of my FIRST ENCOUNTER with JESUS.

He is the sweetest I swear to you guys haha😂😂

My first year there was the most pathetic year for me. I did not have any good friends in class, feeling so alone moreover as most of people from that school came from rich family, it little bit made me uncomfortable. I was not smart either. I remember I got 20th rank in my middle semester of Junior High School there. I studied hard and met one of smart friends who invited me to study together and in final semester I got 7th rank and placed to favorite class at that time.

In that class I met Sisca, she is my good friend until now. Below is my picture with Sisca; she is the Chinese & the sweet one LOL 😂.

She is the one that brings me closer to Jesus.  Not only she often tells me about Jesus but she is the most patient person after my mother that I know. She is soft and every time I get upset with her, she always apologizes first. 3 words that I learn from her : Thank, Sorry, and If You Don't Mind (every time she asks a favor). Haha. I'm the most childish and grumpy one but she is so patient to be my friend. She is also the one who always tells & reminds me to read Bible so I can know Jesus closer and SMILE hha.She always smile in any circumstances. That's why I know she is the true follower of Jesus. And I can see clearly that Jesus rests in her.

I thank God so much to get me knowing her in my life.And you know through that most hated school I could enter to one of the most favorite public universities in Indonesia in last 2013.

I don't have any word to describe how sweet Jesus to me. Jesus is the one who knows me so well more than anyone in this world. And through that rejection He was trying to reach out to me. He sent my friend in order that He can get close with me. Because friends, if I ever imagine in SMPN 19, maybe I would never know Jesus as intimate as now if I ever got that school.

For everything I've been through, I've seen and felt Jesus's love for me through friends and experiences. I hope that whoever read this can be more sensitive that Jesus is close to you, He is longing to be with you and of course He has another incredible ways to reach out to everybody out there.

This is my first encounter with Him, what's yours? 😃😃