One night during the service, my eyes were opened to what this church thing and seeking God was all about. I had memorized John 3:16, but there is a big difference between head knowledge and believing something in your heart. The speaker told the following story:

One night a drawbridge operator had taken his son to work with him. A passenger ship was approaching and the bridge needed to be lifted. Horrified, he noticed that his son was playing on the gears of the bridge. There was no time to run down and grab his son before the boat arrived. He desperately tried to get his attention, but to no avail. The man knew that the closed bridge would certainly damage the ship enough that it would sink andmany would die. He closed his eyes and pulled the lever that opened the bridge. His heart broke and tears streamed down his face as he heard the screams from his only son as the boy's small body was crushed between the gears. The screaming stopped, the bridge was up, and the ship passed through. As it passed, the man saw passengers laughing and telling stories, completely unaware of the sacrifice that had been made for them.

That story lit me up inside. The Bible verses I had memorized seemed to come to life. I understood why people went to church to learn more about this God that loves us so much that He gave His only Son in order that we may have life. The speaker gave an