As a young girl, I would wake up in the middle of the night with fear in my heart.  I feared death. I did not know what would happen to me after death. I thought there would be nothing and when life ended.

I would run to my parents' room in tears, asking, "Mama, am I going to die?" Throughout my childhood, this nightmare haunted my heart.


Getting close to an answer

As I grew up, death still scared me, but life went on. Sports and money became important to me because they gave me self-confidence, independence, and pride in myself. I alone decided what was good and what was bad. Everything my parents taught me became of minor importance. I had no interest in the lives of people around me. Yet, despite the importance and success I achieved, I still had no answer to the question of what happens after death. "Why live," I thought, "if I have to die all the same?"

I heard about God for the first time from my best girlfriend. At first, it seemed like a fairy tale. I heard that people can receive eternal life by simply believing in Jesus Christ. I realized I was getting closer to answering the question that had troubled me all my life.


No longer afraid of death

As an 18-year-old, I went running to my mother in tears, just as in my childhood. Only the words were different, "Mama, I'm not afraid of death anymore. Christ has given me eternal life."

This year, I graduated fromBible College in Moscow. I want to tell the people of my country about our great, loving God, who gives love, joy, happiness, and, above all else, meaning to life.

Take a look at your life.  How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times.  There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget.  In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new.  What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?

Living with hope

If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here's a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised. 

Is this the life for you?

If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you'll experience life to the fullest.