Conformed to His Image
This was the most pivotal year of my life. I stood at a crossroads—one path leading to more years of drifting without purpose, the other to a completely new way of life.
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” — John 6:37
That promise speaks deeply to me. I have known what it is to belong to two earthly families—one that gave me up, and another that took me in when I was seven years old. Though I don’t know all the circumstances of my adoption, the reality of rejection left its mark. It shaped how I saw myself and followed me into adulthood.
I’m not bitter. What happened, happened. But I had to adjust—and that adjustment showed up in all the wrong ways.
I acted out. I disobeyed. I chased acceptance wherever I could find it, even when it led me into things I knew were wrong. I wanted to belong, but often found myself rejected again—sometimes because of my own behavior. I lived in that cycle.
There were moments I’m not proud of—lashing out in anger, destroying things, even hurting others. Other times, I’d run the streets until exhaustion just trying to release what I didn’t understand inside me.
At one point, my behavior became so difficult that my parents considered sending me back. I remember lying in bed at night thinking, “Here I go again.” I even considered running away, trying to survive on my own. Looking back, I see a young boy driven by something deeper than he could explain.
Later, I came to understand it more clearly: I wasn’t just reacting to circumstances—I had a nature that needed changing.
“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity…” — Psalm 51:5
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” — 1 Corinthians 15:22
Life changed for me when I responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
At 18, after hearing about the transforming power of surrendering to Him, I made a decision—I would follow Jesus. And I meant it.
I had known two families physically. Now I began to understand there are also two spiritual families: the family of sin and the family of God. And every person belongs to one or the other.
Through Jesus Christ, I found what I had been searching for all along—acceptance that could never be taken away.
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” — Colossians 1:13
For the first time, I knew I would never be rejected again.
My perspective changed. My life changed. Not overnight—but it has been changing ever since.
I didn’t come to that decision lightly. A friend of mine, who owned a local filling station where I spent a lot of time, would often encourage me to give my life to Christ. I always told him I wasn’t ready—I had more “living” to do.
One day he warned me not to wait too long. He told me about a young boy who lost his life suddenly in an accident. That stuck with me—but more than fear, it was conviction. Deep down, I knew I was lost and needed to change.
Finally, I told him I would go to church that Sunday.
As the days passed, I couldn’t shake the weight of that decision. I even found myself trying to “get in” as much of my old life as I could before making it official—chain-smoking cigarettes, knowing I intended to give them up.
By Wednesday, I couldn’t wait any longer. I went to church—but there was no invitation that night. Still, something had already shifted in me.
When Sunday came, I kept my word. I don’t remember the sermon—I was just waiting for the invitation. When it came, I raised my hand and walked forward alone.
There, I prayed:
“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart… thou shalt be saved.” — Romans 10:9
And I knew—I was saved.
That decision wasn’t emotional or impulsive. I intended to follow Jesus—and I still do.
But the next step proved just as important:
“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” — Romans 12:2
That transformation didn’t happen all at once. It’s a process that continues to this day.
And it all began in 1973—the year my life truly changed.