An encounter

My first encounter of discovering God was long back when I was in 10th. Though I lost faith in God later, until Jacob brought me back through JY, it was this encounter that let me live by Bible even without faith in God.

I had a small altercation with one of my friends regarding a cartoon that I had drawn. He took it from me and was not willing to give it back as I asked it for giving it to another friend who told him that his drawing is not as good as mine. Though we had no problems between us, all of a sudden he slapped me on my face. The first thing came to my mind was to thrash him as I felt offended as it was right in front of the class that it happened. Though we were standing on the dias no one noticed it as the class was almost empty since it was lunch hour.

Just as I was about to hit him back, like a lightning a thought struck me. It was what Jesus said, to show your other cheek to the one who slaps you. Well, I don't know how I did it, but I showed him the other cheek and asked him to slap. And it was then the most unbelievable thing happend. I saw tears in his eyes. And he touched my feet and asked me to forgive.

Later I stopped drawing and all such activities. I left my hometown. Once after a long time when we met he asked me a question which no one who knew me ever asked me till then: "Do you still draw cartoons." And when I said no, he asked me in a pleading voice to continue with it. Well, whenever I think of him what came to my mind was what would have happend if I had hit him back. We would have been one of the worst enemeys. But that very act made him a good friend of mine.

It was through him that I believe I discovered God for the first time.