I'm almost 38 years old. No use denying your age when all people actually do Math and can easily subtract 1976 from 2014. I'm now literally in the "middle ages".Throughout the years, I have had what I'd like to call my "Light Bulb Moments" (LBM's for short). You know, moments when a spontaneous bright idea flashes in your head. Sort of like when Archimedes cried, "Eureka!" from his bath tub and ran through the streets of Syracuse naked.
Among the many LBM's I've had (suddenly, it sounds gross), there are a few significant ones.
I was 13 when I met the very elusive X and Y. I almost flunked Algebra in first year high school. And school being Cebu City National Science High School only made things worse. I was seated beside one of our Math wizards, Mario, who was more often than not busy talking to me than listening to our teacher. Fortunately for Mario, his big brain already understood Algebra. He could probably solve problems in his sleep! Unfortunately for my little brain, I didn't have a clue. Surprise quizzes gave me slight panic attacks. I just couldn't get it. Thankfully, my algebraic Light Bulb Moment arrived on my first year of college at University of the Philippines. I finally figured it out! Suddenly X and Y were my BFF's. I was so happy I aced that class, I almost threw a party for myself.
Several Light Bulb Moments came when I was nine years old.
First, I realized how a male and a female biologically fit together perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle. No, I didn't see any R-rated movies, nor did I learn it in any class. It was just plain common sense. Then, it also dawned on me where all the languages in the world came from. Sure, I heard about the Tower of Babel in Sunday School all the time. But that very day when I had that LBM, Genesis 11 went from being "just a Bible story" to being a historical fact. Only a brilliant God could think of that!
My most favorite Light Bulb Moment was when I knew who I was going to marry. I was still nine, playing on this huge green swing with my nanny, when I first saw this drop-dead gorgeous 18-year-old hunk who was in a nearby playhouse with his one-year-old nephew, Nigel (Get the picture? Good-looking guy. Loves kids!). The moment I laid eyes on him, I thought, "I'm going to marry this guy someday." And I did--12 years later. Best LBM ever.
Then came a serious one. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior on May 29, 1985 after my sister shared to me the 4 Rules of Life. To sum it up plainly, the rules are:
- God loves me.
- I have sinned.
- Jesus died for me.
- I must decide to live for Jesus.
The LBM came when I realized the significance of a Bible story, which again made sense of it all. It was the story of Adam and Eve and how their decision to disobey God and eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil led to a series of unfortunate events for all mankind.
I always wondered why Hebrews 9:22 says "...if no blood is shed, no sins can be forgiven." At first, it sounds kind of morbid. And then it occurred to me, blood had to be shed in the Garden of Eden to cover up Adam and Eve's nakedness. Genesis 3:21 states that God covered their nakedness with leather clothing. Leather comes from animals, and animal skin could only come from slaughtered animals. To make a long story short, someone gave his life up for Adam and Eve's gigantic error. If the payment for sin was death, the solution had to be a life for a life. A loving God had to remain holy and just. A holy God and righteous judge wouldn't let sin go unpunished. Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb of God.
After that, everything just made sense to me--Cain & Abel, the Jews' sacrifice of animals for the atonement of sins, the Passover, Abraham & Isaac--they all became light bulbs flashing before my eyes. Jesus, fully human and fully God, became the ultimate solution for sin when He died on the cross once and for all more than 2000 years ago. It was His blood that brought about forgiveness. And forgiveness was free to all who accept Him as Lord and Savior.
That was also when I realized why John 3:16, the first Bible verse I could memorize, pretty much summed up for me all the other important verses I knew. It actually contains the 4 Rules of Life. "For God so loved the world (Rule 1) that He gave His only begotten Son (Rule 3) that whosoever believes in Him (Rule 4) will not perish (Rule 2) but have eternal life." Overall, that was the biggest Light Bulb Moment in my existence.
We celebrate Jesus' victory on the cross this Holy Week. I hope it becomes a Light Bulb Moment for you too.
Pray. Ask God for forgiveness for all the commandments you have broken; the sins you keep committing. Accept Jesus as your sacrificial Lamb. And decide to live for Jesus.
