I'm in love. Love captivated me. I don't know how else to describe it.

When I was 16 years old, I was very broken. I had endured heartbreak countless times in countless ways. I believed God didn't exist. Surely, if there was a God, He would not have allowed this terrible thing to happen. He could not possibly let tremendous pain be inflicted upon me. He could never permit it.

So, I ceased to believe there was a God, and I focused my energy convincing people God doesn't exist. I concluded many things about God's non-existence. I even converted many people to Atheism. If you know me, you know I'm a passionate woman. So, if I was going to be an Atheist, I was going to be a really passionate one.

But then, I met a guy. He was a cool guy. He made me laugh. But, he wanted me to go to church with him on Sundays. I resisted. I explained to him I didn't believe. He said that it was okay, but if I wanted to be his girlfriend, I was going to have to go to church with him. I agreed as long as he understood I wasn't going to believe.

So I went. The people were nice. But, I still didn't believe. They were just a group of nice people who gathered together to worship a God I was sure doesn't exist.

The second time I went to this church, something happened. Within the church itself, there is nothing I remember being particularly significant. It was a regular Sunday as far as I was concerned. The pastor had preached something I couldn't remember. He had made an altar call to which I didn't respond. Everything in the cosmetic level of the church was normal. But, there was something out of the ordinary that happened to me.

I was standing at that church feeling like rushing waters were refreshing my whole being. It was as if all of me had been thirsty, and my thirst was finally being quenched. I remember waters bubbling up from my belly. Then, I cried. I didn't know why I was crying, but I knew I wasn't sad. The tears somehow gave me an incredible amount of peace. I covered my face and put it down. I didn't want the people at the church to look at me or notice me. I didn't really understand what was happening. Whatever it was, I knew they hadn't started it, so I didn't want them in the middle of it.

At this point, I was thinking whatever was happening was supernatural, so I was thinking it must be God.

"Is this you?"

"Yes."

"What do you want me to do? Do you want me to give my life to you?"

"Yes."

"Okay, wait until I get home because I don't want these crazy people to look at me."

I went home. I didn't say a word to anybody during the whole ride home, but when I got home, I knelt down and wept. I wept for what seemed like an hour. I asked God to forgive me. I asked Him to forgive me for not believing in Him. I had no idea the Holy Spirit was leading me to repentance, but that was exactly what was happening.

I stood up from that long, heartfelt prayer. I felt as light as a feather. I realized then it was the first time in my life I experienced peace.

That was it. No one preached to me. No one indoctrinated me. I didn't even know who Jesus was. All I knew was that God was real, He had shown Himself to me in that church, and now I needed to give my life to Him. I eventually began reading the Bible, and I couldn't put it down. I encountered God on a regular basis through prayer, worship, the Word and speaking to people about God. Needless to say, the church didn't know what to do with me. Most of them didn't even believe I was a real Christian. I just didn't do it the way they were used to seeing it.

For the next years, I encountered a real struggle. I didn't know there was going to be so much opposition from the church against how I knew and experienced God. I didn't know I was encountering a lot of people who knew the church but didn't know God. I questioned myself for so long. I even stopped praying and stopped hearing God for a couple of years because I was just tired of church people shutting me down.

The amount of rejection and misunderstanding I received from my faith family was enough to have anyone turn away from Christianity forever. But, there was one issue: It was God who called me to Him in the first place. Even if the church didn't receive me, He did. He always did. He had always wanted and desired my presence.

So, what am I captivated by? Why am I walking this walk? I am walking it because I am in love. For those next few years, I encountered God on a regular basis. I loved to fast and pray every day for at least 3 to 4 hours. You can't tell me a new believer can't handle that. Anyone can handle it when they are in love.

Now that I am bolder and louder (As Yisel Perez would say), I can say with all the confidence in the world that it is time for the non-lovers to step aside. If you have been doing this for any other reason other than love, you need to either fall in love or step aside. Those of us who have a burning desire for Jesus need to step up. It is our time to step up. We have work to do. We have people to minister to. He has lost people to reach.

So, get captivated. I know this message is not for everybody, and that's okay. But for those who are in love, rise up. It's your turn. Don't let the ones who "have experience" or have made a name for themselves shut you out. The Lord is looking for people who would give him all the glory. Is that you? Rise up. Continue to get captivated. And if you're not, get captivated. It's time.