HOW I MET GOD…from Islam to Jesus

“As I walked aimlessly, I heard a voice tell me to go near the headmaster’s office, in case any trouble arose. I immediately listened and walked toward that direction. There was a glass window next to his office that displayed all the sports trophies and accolades. As I was looking at them, my cooking teacher approached me. She was a beautiful nun, with gray hair and blue eyes. She had a silky voice that I found comforting. She used hand motions and asked if I was hungry. How did she know? I was too embarrassed to respond and turned red.

She then took me to the cooking class and made me a peanut butter sandwich, served with milk. I was starving and began to eat the sandwich while she sat next to me quietly. It was my first peanut butter sandwich, and I loved it! It was delicious. After I finished, I thanked her and went back to where I was before.

Suddenly, I saw a double door adjacent to the headmaster’s office that I never noticed before. Each door had a small cross-shaped glass window, and the doors kept swinging as the students were going in and out of it. I became curious and decided to check it out.

It was the school chapel. I did not know what I was going to see once I entered, but a voice told me to go in, and so I did. It was a first time I was going somewhere by myself without fear. I had never been inside a church or a chapel and did not know what to expect. It seemed as though my feet were moving toward the door uncontrollably. I only had a few minutes left to my lunch period, so I decided to take a quick peek inside.

Normally, I did not go anywhere uninvited, but somehow I knew it was safe to enter. I found the courage to walk up to the door and carefully open it. I stuck my head inside to take a look before entering. I saw two rows of seats with an aisle in the middle. I looked to the left and then to the right to make sure it was safe to go in. There were two female students praying while sitting on each side of the aisle.

I waited for them to leave so I could take a much closer look in the room. I was a bit nervous because I did not know the rules of entering a Christian chapel, nor had I been inside one. I slowly opened the door and entered quietly. There was total silence. But then I saw something I did not notice the first time I looked inside. There was a big statue of Jesus on the crucifix directly in front of me. It was a small chapel, so His statue seemed as if it was standing only a few inches away from me.

How did I not notice such a big statue the first time I looked? I was so drawn to Him that I suddenly found myself standing right in front of Him. It seemed as though Jesus was the one coming closer because I did not recall moving my feet, as if a powerful energy had lifted me and floated me toward Him.

There were lit candles placed all around His feet, a thorn crown on His head, blood dripping down His face, nails driven through His hands and feet, yet He had a peaceful face. He had soft features, and I could not take my eyes off of His face; it was as mesmerizing as my first experience with the Christmas tree.

How could His face look so peaceful when there were nails and thorns driven through His body? I was drawn to His beautiful face. How could someone endure that kind of pain, yet through it all, look so calm and peaceful? It was a real enigma. I kept staring at His face. I knew it was a man-made statue, but to me, He was not a statue. He seemed very real and very much alive. He looked wholesome. Suddenly, I felt something very powerful in my heart, as if all my fears disappeared and my loneliness washed away.

I immediately felt a spiritual connection to Him, and that was when I heard Him say, Come here, My dear, come closer. I felt a chill rushing through my spine. The hair on my body stood so high it hurt. It was overwhelming. What was happening to me? Was it His voice I heard? Was He talking to me directly? Was He the one who directed me toward the chapel? Was He the one who fed me the peanut butter sandwich?

As these questions were going through my mind, I jumped at the sound of the school bell. I wanted to continue this great feeling I was experiencing with Him, but I had to attend my next class. His face was etched into my brain. For the first time in my life I was neither scared nor lonely, as if He put His hand on my heart and made all the negative energy exit my body. But how could this be?

It was fascinating. I was enthralled and wanted to learn more about Jesus. I was captivated by the expression on His face. What did it mean? Was He impervious to pain? I had to find out how He found peace through all that pain. It was not the artist who put the smile on His face; it was Jesus smiling at me directly. That is exactly what my heart told me, and I listened.