My story

Pastor of eXit mládeže responsible for vision and direction

My story began just like the story of many people here in Slovakia. I was born in a culture where people were considered Christians since their birth, without really knowing the real meaning. Therefore, the question was not “Does God exist?", but “What does He look like?”.

I remember when I was still a young boy; we used to go to church with my mum and my sisters. Gradually, God became a sort of natural part of my life, or at least of my Sunday mornings. But everything ended just here.

"Oh God, I am here down on earth. You sit in Heaven. I deal with my life, whereas you are certainly so busy. I know that one day you will come to judge the world, but I will think about this later. I am young and I have all my life still to come.“

This is a description of my reflections about God back then. I knew about God, but I didn't know Him. I saw God only as a strict judge. One of the predominant feelings when I thought about God was a sort of fear. Today, I know I was completely wrong. I was getting older and questions were rising. I had questions about God. They caused a sense of uncertainty and emptiness inside me. I longed for something real, something I could actually feel. Back then I didn’t know that I was looking for something or someone whom I already had in front of my eyes (for such a long time).

Right at that time my parents were having a deep crisis. As a teen-ager I wasn't really able to cope with it. My prayer (if we can call it like that) changed in a desperate scream - I don't want them to get divorced.

The events that followed influenced my life to such an extent, that still today (as I am sitting in this train and write down a few lines) I feel like I want to cry out a big THANK YOU – I want everyone to hear it.

As for my parents, their relationship became unrecognizable. It was just the opposite of what I used to see and listen to when I was a child. I remember noisy nights when screaming from the kitchen woke me up. Suddenly everything changed. My parents acted as though they were really in love with each other... A big change happened. They told me about their closer relation with God through Jesus Christ. It changed them. They were attracted by Our Lord's deep love. Then, even my thoughts about God began to change. They were no longer the same as those I had developed during my early years.

After 6 months I found a community made of real believers. I could never forget the primary shock I had. People around me were singing and giving thanks to the Lord. They were so convinced and so fervent. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. I knew they believe in the same God as me. But it looked as though their God was closer, more loving and more real.

I remember my return home. I closed the door of my room, I knelt down, and I started to talk with God in prayer. I didn’t utter any sentences that I knew by heart. It was only a simple prayer of a 13-year old boy who made his first step in a beautiful and adventurous road of faith. Until then I had known something about God. But then I met Him like a God of infinite love.

Fifteen years went by. During these 15 years my decision to follow Jesus Christ was subject to several trials. Sincere faith does not mean that you never have questions or doubts. Nevertheless, today I am more joyful and inspired than ever.