I finished this English assignment last night:

My best friend Nigel and I were sitting outside of an Allsup�s convenience store, smoking cheap cigarettes and munching away at our �world famous� beef and bean burritos. This was the usual for us: just loitering around, consuming everything that we desired and satisfying any vice we had given ourselves to. All of these things we indulged in had a price, but rarely would we have the dough to support them. As a result, items from neighborhood yards and often from our own house would mysteriously disappear. We had hookups who would request certain yard tools, fishing equipment, or electronics for us to steal. If we couldn�t work the so-called black market, we�d just steal money from people, usually a parent or a friend�s parent. �Well wouldn�t your parents give you an allowance of some sort?� Ha ha ha! Not at cent! We were big fat losers and they knew it.

A truck pulled into a nearby parking space. A younger man got out and proceeded to do his business inside of the store. He was just another stranger that seemed to have order in his life. He didn�t look like us and we could have cared less to see him again. We were just about to head home when he exited the store and approached us. He drew some flyers out of his pocket and handed one to each of us. As soon as we read something about church, excuses flew from our lips. We weren�t about to tell a holy man that we didn�t want to have anything to do with his Jesus. He didn�t waste his time trying to reason with us. �Just come check it out�, he told us. Our ignorance rendered us defenseless and we agreed by mouth to go to the youth service.

We actually had no intention to go to church. Despite my disinterest, I went anyways. My friend, on the other hand, had no desire to go with me. Being that we didn�t have a car, I went by foot. On the way, a duo of thugs from Dallas stopped to ask me if I had any idea as to where they could �score some kill�. One of mine and Nigel�s �customers� just so happened to deal. The thugs took me to go buy them their dope. They were impressed by the size of their bag and offered me a ride to wherever I was headed. They were thrown off when I told them I was en route to church. I explained that I was an atheist and really didn�t know why I was going there. They didn�t care. They were just happy that their bag was so fat. Before I left them, they asked for my contact information in case they were ever to visit Carlsbad and needed a hookup. I gave them my phone number, got out of the car, and never saw or heard from them again.

Upon entrance of the church, I was lavishly greeted and welcomed. I recognized a few faces, but I didn�t know anybody real well. I was introduced to almost everybody in the small group, but I still sat by myself. While the congregation of teens stood in worship, I remained seated, observing with scorn. One of the adults came over and asked if he could pray for me. I tried to argue that I would feel uncomfortable, but again I was defenseless. I dared not reveal my atheism to these Christians lest they�d try to cast demons out of me or something. A feeling of uneasiness arose as this stranger put his hand on my shoulder and prayed to some deity that I perceived to be a fairy tale. I regarded the prayer as if it were conversation to the wall.

Worship was finished and it was time for the preacher to speak. It was the same guy that we met in the Allsup�s parking lot. I sat in boredom and paid little attention to what he preached. When was this thing going to be over? My attention was gained when he mentioned two boys he encountered at a convenience store. ��and they said, �People in church don�t like us. They judge us by the piercings in our faces and the clothes we wear.� We can�t judge people�� He preached about reaching out to everybody and not judging people by their outward appearance.

I couldn�t help but feel cool since he was talking about me and reprimanding these kids for being judgmental. He was indirectly explaining to me that that wasn�t how a real Christian would behave. It was explained that God really cares about the heart, but it was obvious that mine was filthy and I knew it.

I didn�t realize it that evening, but God had got me cornered in that church. Where else would he have gotten me to allow somebody to lay hands on me and pray his will into my life? I only heard the prayer of that one man, but there must have been some heavy-duty silent prayers being lifted up on my behalf during the time of my attendance that evening and probably for a time after that. It wasn�t long after I stormed out of the church that I, a proclaimed atheist and hater of the Christian religion, felt compelled to make another visit to a house of worship. Consequently, I would end up making the best decision of my life: to accept Jesus into my heart.

Me and some friends, including the one I was with at Allsup�s that day, downed a few beers at my house and journeyed off to somewhere that I cannot remember. On our way, we approached a church that we would often pass by and conspire to vandalize. There was music coming from the inside. I thought they might be having a concert, so I persuaded my friends to go inside with me to see. We found out that there was no concert; they were just practicing for worship later on that night, which we were given invitation. Again we gave word of mouth that we would attend their religious service and again we had no intention of following through. Besides, we probably reeked of beer and cigarettes. We really didn�t want to be emitting these smells in a church.

By some miracle, we ended back up at the church before the service that evening. My friends left before it started. I don�t know why I didn�t leave with them. I was by myself at church again, once again susceptible to work of the Holy Spirit. Fortunately, there were a few of my acquaintances there, so I didn�t feel so uncomfortable and didn�t have to sit by myself this time. The smell of booze was still on my breath, but for some reason I didn�t really care.

The service was almost the same as the one I had previously attended except for the worship. The music was great and these kids were really pumped to love on their God. This group truly had something cool going on that I had never seen before. I responded differently to this service: I stood during worship, paid more attention to the preacher, and was less reluctant to let people pray for me. God had got me right where he wanted me. I wasn�t saved that night, but I would accept the word of God within the next two weeks.

Before I knew it, the �nuts and bolts�, as my parents liked to call them, were coming out of my face and I was taking on a whole new, more presentable appearance. Life got real tough for me when my friends began to make assumptions that I thought that I was too good for them. They were the same as before and couldn�t understand why I had just decided to change one day. After a few days, I explained to them that I was tired of being who I was and that I really wanted something good out of my life. They accepted it, but still couldn�t understand what was happening to their friend that was infamous for his rebelliousness and impulsive stupidity.

It had been a few weeks since I had been to church. Since I had accepted God, I thought that I might start attending church more often. I found the church to be good for me. I learned about what was Godly and what was not. I didn�t believe that one had to go to church to live a Christian life, but I found that the more frequently I went, the Godlier my life became.

As my heart was changing from an offensive delinquent to a decent young man, my attitude towards people would change as well. I realized that I wanted to be friends with all of the people that I had once tried so hard to offend and scare away. Kind words replaced the profanities and insults that would usually spout out of my face. I found much more positive feedback from my new attitude. People were actually finding me pleasant to be around for once in my life. I loved it! This �one-eighty� experience was truly great.

What would my life be like today had I not decided to leave my friend behind to go to church that Wednesday evening after we received invitations at Allsup�s? Actually, I don�t think it would be much different. I was divinely appointed to have the Word of God planted in me. If I had not gone that evening, I would have most likely been drawn to church soon after. My deadline was approaching. Something had to be done with this boy that had so much hidden promise. There was some great potential in his spirit. It was time for it to be released from the binds of worldly pleasures.

I will always remember church as the place where God, whether I wanted it or not, poured his grace out on me. Where else could such a loser be changed into a loving, joyful young man of integrity than in the house of the living God?