The Longest Six Months of My Life

Orsola Carter

I had just turned 18 when I came to England from Italy for six months to learn English.

Then an extraordinary event changed everything.

But let’s go back a bit.

About four years earlier, like any other teenager, I was grappling with important questions like:

What is the meaning of life? Why am I on this planet? Is it possible to know God? Where do I go when I die?

I was determined to find answers, so I started an earnest search.

Meanwhile I came to England to learn English. In the English class I met Juani, a young Spanish lady. Juani had a lovely smile and a joyful heart. As we spent time together I noticed she had something I longed for. Juani introduced me to her friends and I saw they had this ‘something’ too.

So I asked God to give that ‘something’ to me.

It was my 19th birthday. I felt a terrible weight on my heart. I didn’t know what to do. So I called out to God for help. I went into my bedroom to pray as I had done for years. But this time was different.

Suddenly I became very aware of the presence of Jesus all around! In that moment I understood he died on the cross for MY sins which had separated me from God.

So I asked Jesus to forgive me for the wrong things I had done and something unexpected happened. The heavy weight lifted off my heart! I had received his wonderful forgiveness!

I was so happy I wept tears of joy!

No one ever told me it was possible to have a personal relationship with God.

I realised that this relationship was the ‘something’ I had seen in my friend Juani and now I had it too!

I gave my whole life to God. A short time later God made it clear to me that I should stay in England rather than return to my home in Italy.

What was intended to be just six months in England turned out to be the rest of my life!

Knowing God personally changes everything from the inside out. He has given me his supernatural strength, supernatural peace and supernatural joy to overcome every difficulty that life brings.

But more than this God will take me to where he lives and where he is preparing a home for me. I will go to live with him for eternity when the time comes for me to leave this earth.

I found the answer to all my existential questions.

Maybe like me you are looking for answers. I can say without a doubt that connecting personally with the God of the universe through his Son Jesus Christ will completely answer your fundamental questions.

Jesus came to earth to make it possible for us to have a personal relationship with God.

It is not about going to church or following religious rules. I searched persistently for God. I opened my heart to him and he made himself known to me in my bedroom.

And he will do the same for anyone who will search for him with all of their heart.