Amazing Grace – My meeting with Jesus
Every story has its beginning. So has mine. The Bible teaches us that before the world began, God has chosen us for his Special Holy Plan. His Plan includes not only living here on this Earth, but also, through sacrifice of His Son Jesus He is preparing us to live for the rest of the eternity in His Presence in His Heavenly Kingdom. When I look back on my life I realize that God’s Hand was leading me through my childhood and my young age. Several times as a child, I was facing death. When I was just a few months old, I contracted meningitis and for a few moments I was clinically dead. God saved my life then as He decided that it was not yet my time to die. During my childhood I suffered many serious illnesses, but The Lord saw me through all of them as well. Once, I remember, I fell down from the stairs hitting my head against a concrete floor on the bottom. Some witnesses of this accident claimed that it should be fatal. My Heavenly Father was yet again in control. I grew up in the beautiful region of the South of Poland in a very small village. The mountains and views around were very impressive, but my life was the opposite to that. Poverty, alcoholism, human suffering, abuse and tears, quarrels and fighting – it was what was around me.
This picture I have imprinted in my mind, when I think of myself as a child. My father died at the age of 32 when I was only a few month old, leaving behind three children and his wife. Poor mum was doing her utmost to make ends meet, taking many heavy physical jobs, often much above her abilities, to feed and cloth us. Quite often, we had only stale bread with cheap oil for our main meals. Therefore, our childhood was a constant physical and mental struggle. We, children had to go to work on local fields to be able to help our tired mother and our old grandmother living with us. Father’s death overshadowed my young life. I had nobody to inspire me, to set some standards or to teach me all the things that only a father can teach his son. I envied my friends for having their fathers and I became very shy and closed in on myself. I tried to substitute my loneliness by building my own inner imaginary world. I was reading many books about none existing heroes; I tried to put my hand in various sports and marshal arts, which I was intensively training at. None of it could substitute the love of my father. As a teenager, together with my close friend Arek, I tried to run the local Disco. All the money I have earned, I used to spend for some fashionable clothes and pleasures. I was fascinated with Eastern philosophy and occult. However, none of these things could fill my heart with love and peace, which I was so desperately seeking. My life became even worse when I reached my adulthood. In July 1992, working as a police officer, I had to spend the night in the police station. My girlfriend, who I was planning to marry just left me, I felt shame and guilt and my whole world seemed to close in on me. I sat on the bed feeling absolute emptiness and hopelessness.
It was the moment when I decided to put an end to it and commit suicide. I had my pistol on me so I planned to use it. To make clear for my employers and the family it was not a homicide, I decided to leave a note. So I started looking for suitable paper and pen, when I heard a small voice in my head saying: “Shouldn’t you first give a chance to God to sort out your life for you?” Suddenly I remembered a story from the little book, given to me years before by some Christians living in the neighborhood. The story was about a very rich man who died and went to meet his Creator. God asked him then what kind of fruit he brought to Him. The man, who was very busy during his life building his own fortune, had nothing to offer to God. The Lord showed him his life rolling in front of his eyes as a film, and he realized how empty and useless it really was. The man had to face some consequences and he ended up in the abyss away from God for the rest of eternity. I realized my life was very similar to his. I also had nothing to give to God and I would go empty handed to stand in front of my Creator.. The room I was in was very dark. I
was there on my own. I bended my knees, and started to cry to God: “Oh Lord if you really exist, please help me! Please help me in this very difficult moment of my life!” I poured my heart together with my tears in front of Him. I was alone in the police station, but I have had this strange feeling that somebody entered the room and was standing next to me. I looked around but I could not see anybody. I felt very warm as if someone has put a warm blanket over my back. This warm feeling reached also my heart and peace came to my mind. I could not forget this strange feeling for a long time. From that day, my life started to take some “shape”. After a few months, I met my old friend Arek with whom I had run a disco club. He had just returned from Holland where he was temporary working. He looked strange, not like the man I used to know. Somehow, he looked more peaceful and happy. I told him about my recent experience and he said God responded to my call. Then he told me about his meeting with Jesus while working in Holland. He also was going through some big difficulties and was desperately looking for answers. Someone offered him The New Testament – a little blue Gideon’s Bible in Polish. He started to read it. His life, and the pain he had suffered due to his illness, started to improve. In just a few weeks, he accepted Jesus in his life. It is very strange that The Lord was working on both of us at the same time! When I received my first Bible from my friend Arek, I knew for sure that I would never let it go! I gave my life to Jesus and now together with my wife, two children and our parents we are serving Him working for Gideon and distributing Bibles in our region. Arek, my best friend and now also brother in Christ lives with his family in the close neighborhood and we attend the same Church preparing ourselves for meeting one day with our Father in Heaven. My dear friends, are you ready for this meeting? Reach for The Bible, read it, give yourselves to Lord, and experience His Amazing Grace!
Jan Stypula - Poland
Amazing Grace – My meeting with Jesus - Polish Language
