Ruud

I had no idea who God was. Oh, yes, I went to church, I obeyed my parents and stuff like that. But knowing Him… He knew me, though, and He has gone to all lengths to fix up a meeting with me. Not the most comfortable way to meet someone, though.

Primary school wasn’t too bad. But the years that followed are one huge, black hole. I went to a technical school. Sometimes I think that’s what did me in, because the memories still haunt me now and then. Being bullied has an impact that lasts a lifetime. I no longer got out of the house and started seeing less and less people

One day my mother kicked me out and ordered me to go find some friends. In that period I spent a lot of time with a cousin of mine and he took me with him to a sailing camp. There I met people (Christians) who were interested in me and didn’t think I was weird. That was the first time in my life. In that week I got to know Jesus in a whole new way, very different from the thoughts I had had about Him all those years. He really is present and He does care about me.

It took me years to come to grips with all kinds of issues and to really believe that I didn#t have to be afraid anymore.

Because I still wrestled with fear when I started looking for a job, I never got further than excavation worker / mechanic. The hard work got the best of me and with a so-called ‘worn-out back’, I had to go on sick leave. I had to be re-educated and learn a new profession. Looking back I’m surprised to see Gods hand in my life. He was there! Me, the wimp of the class, had Gods full attention!

Through the years I’ve had the privilege of learning many more things. More and more I saw Gods blessing, His hand, in my life. An urge prevailed to learn not just for me, but to also learn more about Him, spend time with Him. To put it shortly, I went from being an excavation worker to being an account manager in automation. But the best thing is that I work for Him now.

During this time I also met the woman I’m married to now. We have three children and it’s really wonderful to look at them the way God looked at me. The way the people at the sailing camp looked at me, who taught me to look at myself - through God#s eyes! He deserves to be taken seriously. He is worth it. And not just Him, we are worth it.

Would you like to know what He thinks of you? Tell Him what you think of Him! But be careful, He really listens!