The Truth: What Really Happened to Me on May 19, 2005

4 Mins Read | May 19, 2020

Do you remember what your life was like back in the early 2000s?

I do, and it wasn’t pretty.

I was a typical worldly teenager. I was heavily involved in drugs, partying and crime. I hated going to school and was looking for every way to skip so I could pursue spending time with my friends and engage in all kinds of sinful activities.

Meeting a Professional BMXer

When my friends and I weren’t doing things we shouldn’t, we loved skateboarding, so we spent a lot of time at a local skate park. Sometimes a professional BMX rider would come by the park and spend hours flipping around on his bike.

His name was Thomas, but they called him “Tarzan.” He wasn’t like us. He didn’t cuss or smoke. He was a Christian. But not just Christian. He was “very Christian,” as we said back then. But we thought he was pretty cool, and he gained our respect instantly after he did a backflip on a ramp on his BMX one day.

Thomas was a very talented BMXer. He traveled the world doing shows and was sponsored by companies like Fox and Eastpack. To us, it was awesome. Imagine traveling the world, doing what you love to do. What a life. On top of all that, Thomas was very generous. He was often on the road and couldn’t take all his sponsored clothes with him. So he frequently invited me to his apartment where we would talk about life and the Bible. And he would always give me a stack of clothes and brand new shoes to bring home.

Practicing with American Breakdancers

I began breakdancing at the beginning of January 2005. The news of my breakdancing somehow reached Thomas. A couple of months later, in May, he gave me a call. He told me that his team was coming to Denmark. They were going to be practicing in my town at a local church. Thomas said that I was welcome to come and practice with the breakdancers together with my crew. We were blown away—Super cool American breakdancers in our town making all the moves we so badly wanted to nail, and we could train with them? Wow! Unbelievable.

When the team arrived in Denmark, my crew and I went to practice with them. They were staying for two weeks, so we did our best to spend as much time as possible with them.

Towards the end of their stay on a Thursday evening, something happened. Something unexpected that completely changed my life.

I walked with my good friend Henrik to the place where the breakdancers were practicing. When we arrived, the team was already dancing, so we joined them. The breakdancers helped us with our moves while we small talked.

The Good News I Never Knew

As the evening drew to a close, one of the team members began a conversation with me. His name was Jerome. He eventually shared the good news of the gospel with me.

I had never heard the gospel like that before.

That evening, I realized that I was a sinner. I had sinned against God by breaking His holy law. I was guilty before God, Who is holy and righteous, and headed straight toward eternal punishment in hell.

However, I also learned that 2000 years ago, God became a man. He was fully man and fully God—Jesus of Nazareth. He lived a sinless life. He was completely perfect in thoughts, words, and deeds, and fulfilled all of God’s laws that I had broken. I understood that Jesus went to the cross voluntarily, where He suffered and died in my place. He satisfied God’s justice and appeased his wrath for my sins. Then he was laid in the grave, and three days later, he rose from the grave, where he forever defeated sin and death.

As Jerome shared the gospel with me, I remember being so convicted of my sins that I repented and placed my faith in Jesus Christ for my salvation. I prayed, asking Him to forgive me and save me.

And God did save me!

Up until that point in my life, nothing inside me desired God. But after I heard the gospel that night, everything inside of me longed for Him.

Forever Changed by God’s Grace

That evening I went home a changed young man. I remember walking my home, thinking, “Something has changed.” Yes, my life was forever changed by God’s grace (2 Cor 5:17).

My family, friends, teachers, and I saw the miraculous saving work God had done in my life! It was evident and undeniable to everyone.

After receiving Christ as my Lord and Savior, I began to experience a radical change in my life. God had made me a new creation in Christ and broke the bondage of sin in my life. I was no longer a slave to sin. God gave me a new heart with new desires. I started desiring obedience towards God, and the Holy Spirit convicted me when I fell into sin. I began longing for fellowship with God and other believers. I also developed a deep love for reading and studying the Word of God and sharing the gospel with others.

Today is The Day of Salvation

This is the truth about what happened to me on May 19, 2005 (15 years ago today).

My friend, I share my story with you, hoping that you will see God’s kindness in sending Jesus to die for guilty sinners so that we can experience forgiveness, hope, and eternal life with God.

God is loving and kind and is offering you eternal life today! Please turn away from your sins and believe in Christ as your Lord and Savior while you still have time!

If you do or have any questions, I’d love to hear from you. Please send me an email at [email protected].