Mercy All, Kristen Bekker

He never knew me. In fact, he lived and died before the day that I was born, but Charles Wesley, in one of his heart-stirring hymns, wrote a line that describes my life in the hands of my loving God. That line says: “Tis mercy all, immense and free, for Oh my God it found out me!” The mercy of a wise and sovereign God is the theme of my years as a child, teenager, and young adult. The Lord blessed me from birth by placing me in a Christian home, and giving me parents who, long before, had seen and been won by an invisible yet precious Lord Jesus. Through their speaking and pattern, I came to know the Lord personally, and even received Him into me by calling on His name. (Acts 2:21)

As a young believer, I learned to talk to the Lord, and often read over a child's book called My Friend God, finding from it that the God who had made me and saved me could be my best friend. As I grew, the Lord increased my desire to love Him and know Him. The first spiritual book that I can remember reading on my own is one by Witness Lee, entitled The All-Inclusive Christ. Other books could tell me that God can be our friend, but the writings of Witness Lee helped me to see so much more deeply into who Christ is. One afternoon, I sat in our backyard and read The All Inclusive Christ. As I read about how Christ is the only real thing in the universe, I started to see the truth of this for the first time. I read that everything positive in the universe is actually a picture of Christ. The back door that I could see from where I was sitting was not the real door, Christ was! He is the real door, or way, into God. As I read and considered, it became clear to me for the first time that Christ is the real One: the real grass, the real air, the real blue sky. What I could see and touch is a picture of Christ, and should remind me of Him. “Lord, I love You,” I prayed. “Thank You that You are the real walk. I take steps in You. Keep me in You. You are more real than what I see. These things aren't real, only You are.”

I am so thankful to the Lord for leading me to know Him as more than just a good friend. He is the reality of everything positive. I feel that the writings of Witness Lee have opened my eyes. These writings open my eyes to see just one thing: the wonderful Christ. Since I read The All Inclusive Christ, many years ago, I have read many more books by Witness Lee, and the more I see of this Christ, the more I can't help but love Him. By His mercy, He has brought me into many experiences of Him during high school and college. Now, at 22, I feel there is a vast, unexplored territory of Christ ahead of me. As His mercy found me, may His mercy keep me so that I may see Him more, explore Him more, and love Him more.