FIGURING LIFE: UPS & DOWNS

Which Voices to Believe?

“Feeling Faith” by Myra Alibrando

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Quitting on God

I quit God at a young age, about 11 years old. After asking God every night to "bring my mommy and daddy back together" for more than 2 years, I felt God let me down when they divorced.  

A troubled childhood, I ran away from home at barely 17 and soon after quit school. 

Accepting Christ

At age 18, it was the tail end of the Jesus movement in 1971, I accepted Christ because of my confidence in others who assured me it would be the best decision of my life. I was not emotional, but it was a big decision for me. Now in my seventies, I know they were right.

I attended Youth with a Mission and graduated. I felt led to go back home. I had attained a High School Equivalency (GED) and started college.

Evolution Proves God Did Not Create Anything

Excited to tell others about Christ, the #1 reason most students were not interested was because of evolution, which they brought up. I tried to answer, but honestly had no real response to their science versus religion concerns. I’m afraid my inability may have reinforced their confidence in evolution.

I started a column in the college paper "To See or Not to See, That is the Vision". I did some copy/paste things about evolution's weak spots, but it wasn't my own thinking. I was parroting. 

No Help Creationist Books

I bought one of those Creationist books written by a real scientist. It made me feel good that there were scientists who also disagreed with evolution. Unfortunately, I did not understand the technical explanations. I could not explain to anyone else what I read because frankly, I didn't really get it.

I also felt the book went deep on details instead of blowing up the whole evolution thing. It seemed to be explaining things to evolutionist scientists rather than me.

I gave that scientist creationist book away. It didn't help me. By age 20, I didn't know for sure if evolution or Genesis was true. I knew they could not both be true. My previous research was to support creationism as true and evolution as false, but now I had become a radical truth-seeker.

A man who had great influence on my younger self was Harry Conn who said,

“If you can’t explain it to a 3^rd grader, you really don’t understand it.”

I totally agree.

Willing to Give Up Christianity if …

If evolution was actually true, that would mean Christianity was actually false. I thought "If my faith is based on lies, I am only giving up deception." Although scary, I had to know.

My curiosity about what was really true overcame my sense of loyalty to Christianity. I know that sounds bad, but I knew Jesus said "the truth shall set you free" so how could God object? Here is a great discovery:

When genuine, honest curiosity about what is true drives a person's research, it is completely different from researching to support one side. 

Me Against the World as Usual

I already knew more than 95% of the world's scientists supposedly endorsed evolution and I knew I wasn't smart enough to challenge 95% of the world’s scientists. But I also knew something else, people on both sides didn't know everything. Look at me, I publicly defended creationism but secretly was open to evolution. Remember that with every argument you ever read. We don’t know the hearts of the person speaking or writing.

Learning without School, Textbooks, or Teachers

I began learning so much on the genius of nature's engineering, but not in the academic way from books and teachers.

I began to clearly see design everywhere right in front of me. I would see a seed stuck to my shoelace and notice the intentionality of it sticking to me so it could travel.

I started asking myself: “Why say it doesn’t take intelligence to make seeing eyes, if we aren’t smart enough to make them?”

So many examples of genius, like the way rain came in seasons within predictable amounts, without plumbing, but by evaporating from the ocean and then carried by wind-blown clouds dropping rain all over the world.

There are so many Bible verses on God creating, but this time I want you to use your eyes and your power to think.

I don't have to read minds. I don't have to have a Phd in micro-biology, archaeology, or geology; I just need to keep asking questions and see what I learn from answers, or no answers, or dishonest answers. I can also look at nature and think for myself.

Then there is this:

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. John 14:26

The Nature of Truth

Nature itself is truly a marvel beyond man’s scope of intelligence or power. I start feeling the temptation to worship a Creator.

Truth never contradicts truth, so with the brightness of nature's glory. I looked again at evolution's claims in more detail. My questions were multiplying like a detective who doesn't believe who he is interrogating.

I’m No Genius, but I Can See

These genius patterns in nature never end if you are listening with your heart and mind. It was so rewarding on levels I never expected. My faith multiplied tenfold. 

I cannot answer all questions about evolution or the Bible, no one can. No one can answer all the mysteries of the human body or how a tree grows. But we all have reasons for what we believe.

I have since written several books, recorded 1000 short radio segments, and to this day literally delight in watching nature at work. I cannot refrain any longer from worship as I continually congratulate my heavenly Father for His brilliance and wonderful gifts to mankind. I also apologize to God for so many insisting He did nothing.

He has given us our very life, and so much more. Don’t you agree?

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bonus 99-second mp3, unrelated but inspiring. check it out.

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