Doug Van Pelt

My Story (short version)

I was a young guy (age 11) when I became convinced that there was a God. I bought the story that He became a man, lived on earth for 33 years and died on the cross so that I could be forgiven of my sins. It made sense to me, so I believed it. It was exciting to walk with God and learn more about Him and hanging out a lot with other believers. I don't know why, but that whole thing lasted about six months. For the next nine years I pursued pleasure. I kind of put God out of my mind. Deep down inside I still believed He was real, but if I just ignored the notion, none of my lifestyle choices could be questioned (at least by my conscious). As a high schooler I lived in a pretty typical home environment -- it had rules and restrictions, but nothing real oppressive. I couldn't wait to get out on my own, though, and freely pursue all of the pleasure I wanted. When I graduated from high school my dad gave me a New American Standard Bible with my name embossed on it. He had underlined at least one significant verse in each of the 66 books. It was packed with my things to go to college, but the first day it sailed above my closet to stay unread for the next nine months. I remember thinking a little bit about God during my sophomore year in college. I formulated a plan based around the imminent return of Jesus Christ to planet earth. Like a lot of others, I figured that He would return "within a generation after the fig tree blossomed" (meaning the re-birth of the nation of Israel), which was about 40 years by biblical estimates. That meant He would return in 1988, so I figured I'd straighten out in '87. Until then, it was more partying and life for me. The next summer I was confronted with the idea that "if I was a friend of the world, then I was an enemy of God." This didn't sit well with me. I knew that this "friendship" wasn't the love and caring kind of friendship that we like to describe, but like an allegiance with a system of thought, a "side" in a battle of wills. I realized that I'd been playing games with God and that by ignoring Him I had been choosing the world over Him. One night I decided that it was the better choice to choose Him, which meant saying goodbye to getting high and "mating" with girls that weren't my mate. At the time it was a serious choice, because those were both things that I talked a lot about and basically craved and lived for. I was amazed by the power that God gave me to overcome my psychological addiction to marijuana and live by these renewed convictions. I have enjoyed my new life and have never seriously looked back with the intention of turning my back on such great a love as I know in Jesus. Life hasn't been one great big bundle of joy, but in the ups and downs I have a sense of peace that's really like an "anchor to the soul." I've got Someone to cry out to when I'm grieving and thank when I'm rejoicing. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.