Tell me about your 'born again' experiences

[Lucian Hodoboc]

Tell me about your 'born again' experience. I've been watching a bunch of 'testimonial' videos on YouTube, all of them Protestants, who talk about their 'born again' experience, how they've been living sinful lives, rebellious against God, trying to find fulfillment in worldly things etc., and then God or Jesus changes their emotions (usually at a random moment or when they're close to hitting rockbottom and committing suicide or overdosing or something like that), and then they're transformed, they start loving God and living for Him, basically undergoing a rapid sanctification process. Did you have such an experience? Would you mind sharing it in a few paragraphs? If you haven't, how do you know that you are born again?

 

[Josiah]

I have 4 older siblings. Two of them are dead. One of them died within 6 weeks of the birth date, the other died minutes after birth. Both had the same birth defect. The docs told my parents to just accept the two healthy older children. But God has a way of surprising people, and I was conceived. And eventually diagnosed with the same exact problem. But I seemed to be making it.

There was a decision to birth me by C-Section rather early and immediately perform surgery. Thus, I was born early and in the operating room. But there was a brief time.... just a couple of minutes I think.... between the two events, as I moved from the care of one medical team to another. In this time, I was not conscience or breathing, on full life support.

The docs were optimistic. They were quite confident that this surgery would work. Nonetheless, there was a very real chance it would not and that I would die on my birthday. My parents, being Christians who believe God, arranged for me to be baptized during that brief time between my birth and my surgery. I was baptized with an eye-dropper. In the surgery ward. With a large team of doctors and nurses as the witnesses - 12 people signed my baptism certificate.

Now I know some will deny that God could use that Sacrament to give to me faith. AND I WILL NOT DEBATE THEM HERE. But I hold that He did. That He blessed me not only with physical life (which likely won't last more than 80 years or so) but also with spiritual life (which lasts forever). I cannot recall a time when I did not believe... and I give God all the glory and praise for that.

Thus I believe I was born twice.... each within a couple of minutes of each other.... neither my doing, both the gift of God.... both miracles of God.... in one case, God used doctors and in the other God used Baptism but both His doing, His miracles, His gifts.


Soli Deo Gloria.



- Josiah



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