The New Heart Story

On December 1st of 2004, I walked into my bathroom thinking I would just quickly get ready to go to college...yet, little did I know, that very day I would have a supernatural encounter with God in my bathroom.

Throughout high school, I was an activist atheist, I was bold about my unbelief in a god and I actually would try to convert multiple people to agnosticism and atheism. I was convinced that the existence of a Creator was impossible. I was a "straight A" student, involved in many organizations and I was also the ASB Secretary for the school...but deep down inside, hid a lack of purpose and a deep darkness that I didn't share with many. 

That afternoon in December, I walked into my bathroom, I washed my face like I normally would and when I reached for a washcloth and began to dry my face, I saw my reflection in the mirror and (the best way I can describe it is that) I saw a black hole over my chest...this obviously startled me and I jumped back. I began to cry for no apparent reason after having seen this...but shortly after, I had an awareness of God's presence being in my bathroom, I didn't hear an audible voice but it was almost like if someone would've made me aware of God being in my bathroom. After that, I felt these weight on my shoulders, almost like if two hands were trying to push me down on my knees and I fought this force as much as I could...until I couldn't fight it anymore. 

I fell on my knees and on my face and I said "God if this is you then I believe in you and you can have my life"... I remained in my bathroom floor for what felt like an eternity but when I stood back up, I knew God was real and I knew He had caused a change in me... I snuck into my brother's Bible and I opened it randomly to see what the Bible had to say... I opened it to Ezekiel 36:26 which reads "I will give you new heart and put in a new spirit in you, I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." 

That verse, further solidified what I had just experienced in my bathroom. God had taken my heart of stone and given me a new heart! 

I hope my story encourages you that God is able to soften the hearts of even the most stubborn of all. If He was able to reach me, nobody is too far from His grace. 

From a new heart,

Jorge Rivas