A Change in Faith

It’s the year two thousand thirteen in Brooklyn, New York. At the Cornerstone Christian School, Lucas, a thirteen-year-old boy with brown hair and blue eyes, sits at his desk with a pen in hand taking notes for an upcoming English assignment. He is soon distracted by something catching the corner of his eye.

On a tree branch, a dove was perched. To Lucas it seemed as if the dove where looking into his very soul, reading his very thoughts, hopes and dreams. He had no understanding as to why the dove was staring directly into his eyes. Perhaps it was paranoia settling into Lucas’s mind because underneath it all truth stood in the midst. In his mind, Lucas knew the truth, but in his heart, truth could not stand. Something was holding him back. What, he did not know.

He watched with wonder as the dove flew out of sight, leaving him with a feeling that a message that was being foretold. His eyes soon found their way to the chalkboard and there it was as plain as day, the message he felt was for him.

Lucas read with eyes wide, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with theLord. 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-17

As he finished, he put his hand up to his face to wipe away the tears that fell. Afraid the rapture had come to pass, Lucas began to scan the room. What he found was his fear come true. His teacher, his classmates, all had disappeared. Only their clothes remained.

Panic seized Lucas as stared at the empty clothes before him. He stood and ran frantically from desk to desk picking up clothes and throwing them down. Running back to his desk, Lucas sat with his head in his hands crying.

“This is it, I have no one,” Lucas said aloud.

Suddenly, Lucas looked up to the heavens and wondered why. A ray of hope shined as he remembered his mother and father. He jumped up hoping his parents had not vanished from this earth. In a panic, Lucas started to run home.

Lucas stoped and stood on the sidewalk overwhelmed more then ever as he sees the destruction before his eyes, the shrill screams of people frantically searching for their loved ones as well as the abandoned cars that were totaled.

“Why didn’t I go to the altar when I should have many times before? I should have listened to the Lord when he spoke to my heart. If only I was saved, I would not be left here upon this earth experiencing what I am now,” Lucas thought, having cried so much that he began to cough.

Lucas knew he had to make a decision and make it fast, for he knew the antichrist would soon reign and would try to deceive many.

“I know what I have to do. I have to get saved,” thought Lucas.

Lucas stoped, realizing he is at his front door. He started fumbling with his key only to find the door unlocked. While taking a deep breath, Lucas turned the knob and walks into his home.

He began to run frantically from room to room, screaming at the top of his lungs, “Mom, Dad!”

No one answered. He came to a stop as he approached the doorway of his parents' bedroom. There he stood, afraid, out of breath, hoping this was all a dream and would soon awake. Slowly, he walked further into the room. Lucas saw what he hoped he would not. His parent's empty clothes lay upon the bed.

In hysteria, Lucas falls to his knees, his hands covering his face. If he ever felt alone before, it could never match how alone he was now. His sobs grew louder. He moved his hands away from his tear stained face and looked at the bed once again realized this was no dream, it was reality.

As he stood, his legs wanted to buckle beneath him. His mother’s bible caught his wondering eye. He walked to the dresser where the bible still lay. With shaking hands, Lucas picked up his mother’s bible, held it close to his aching heart. Lucas walked to his mother’s vanity and sat. For a moment all he could do was stare at the bible sitting in front of him. His hand brushed the cover of the bible.

Pushing away all thoughts, Lucas opened the bible and turned to the page his mother had marked years before.

Silently he read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Lucas knew what he had to do, but the question was could he believe it in his heart.

He began to silently pray, “God, what is keeping me from you and whatever it is pleased cast it away so that I may believe.”

Almost instantly Lucas began to feel a huge weight being lifted from his shoulders and peace began to flow through him soon after. He knew for sure he could now ask the Lord to come into his heart, his life.

Lucas looks toward the heavens and starts to pray, “Lord come into my heart, my life. I ask you to save me, cleanse me of all my sins. I believe with all my heart that you died and rose again. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”

With his new found faith, Lucas stood. He began to wipe away the tears he shed, for he knew his tears would not bring back his family, his friends, nor anyone for that matter. Not only that, he knew that just because he was saved there were still going to be battles to overcome in the seven-year tribulation.

Lucas remembered a scripture and fell to his knees in prayer, “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust, let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me and save me. Psalm 71: 1-2