"Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation." - 2 Peter 3:15a

God never gave up on me.

As a high school senior, I took a city bus to and from school and was accustomed to being left alone with my music during the trek. So, when a Bible-reading stranger invaded my space with his soul-probing questions, I was slightly annoyed.

"Do you consider yourself a Christian? Do you read your Bible everyday? Would you like to join me at a Bible discussion?"

"Yes ... No ... Heck no."

Over the next few weeks, he shared his life story with me, showed me Scriptures about being a disciple of Jesus Christ and asked provocative questions. Every ride, before I got off at my stop, he asked me if I would like to go to church with him on Sunday. I gave him the same answer every time: "Thanks, but my dad says Sundays are family days."

I attended a few community college classes during my senior year of high school, and on my way to class one day I was approached by a couple of guys passing out flyers and inviting people to a Sunday church service in a park. "Thanks, but my dad says Sunday are family days," I answered.

Only a few weeks into my first semester at Cal State University, Fullerton, it happened again. I was working out at the school's gym when one of the brothers in the campus ministry invited me to a Sunday worship service. "Thanks, but my dad says Sundays are family days."

Then, pumping gas one night at the nearby Arco station, a brother from the singles ministry of this church asked me if I would like to join him in a Bible study the next day at a coffee shop. "Why not?" I thought to myself. I found the study informative and enlightening. After it was over, he asked me if I would like to attend a Sunday church service. "Thanks, but my dad says Sundays are family days."

Then a friend and I visited Cal Poly Pomona, and the minute we got out of the car a couple of brothers from the campus ministry handed us invites to their Sunday service. We turned them down.

At the beginning of my second year at CSUF, I once again was invited to a Sunday service by a different brother. "Thanks, but my dad says Sundays are family days."

And then, one quiet Friday afternoon after classes, I took my usual walk over to my fortress of solitude (computer lab). The campus minister there stopped me in my tracks and fired off a few general questions. Considering his cheerful demeanor and inconsequential inquiries, I thought he was trying to sell me something. It turned out he just wanted to invite me to church.

"Thanks, but my dad says Sundays are family days," I said.

"OK, fine. Let's have a Bible study then," he answered.

"Sure. When?"

"Right now."

"Why not."

Right then, two other brothers rounded the corner. We sat down that afternoon and had a Bible study. We did two other personal studies the next Saturday morning. Then, amazingly enough, I got clearance from my father to go to church that Sunday. We studied the Bible every day after that, and I was baptized as a disciple of Jesus Christ one week after that impromptu Bible study on campus - six invitations and two and a half years after first hearing the truth on my bus ride to school!

"The Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." 1 Corinthians 3:5b-9

I learned an important lesson through my journey to Christianity: We should not get discouraged when people turn down our invitations or reject our effort to show them the truth. We just need to keep doing God's will. He will work in His own time and way.

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