Safe Exit Ramps
I spent most of my life believing that the God of the Universe had sent his son to die for my sins, that I was a born-again member of God's chosen family, and that he had called me to be one of his spokespersons.
I became a believer at the age of nine during a year of reading the Bible from cover-to-cover. I was a good boy who made my parents proud. When the time was right, I admitted I was a sinner and gave my life to Jesus.
I learned to sing hymns like "Amazing Grace" in which we each proclaimed that Jesus had died for "such a worm as I." It was a great paradox of belief: God loves me. I am special. But I'm also a worm. I'm broken, flawed, and hopeless on my own, but Jesus has fixed me, no, is fixing me. Wait, will fix me. No, has fixed me. Yikes!