I was born in 1971 to an Iranian family in Memphis, Tennessee. Growing up, religion didn’t play a central role in our household, despite the frequent stories of Jesus that wove through my upbringing, shared by my parents and my great uncle. “let me tell you what Jesus said or did” was a familiar refrain, often accompanying gentle corrections to my childhood missteps. Through it all, I developed a deep-seated belief in Jesus being right.

As the years unfolded and I reached milestones in education, career, and personal growth, I expressed gratitude for God’s gifts and blessings. Yet, amidst the outward successes, an inner void persisted, a puzzle piece missing from the mosaic of my life. It took four decades of searching to recognize the signs nudging me forward, both in waking hours and within the realms of dreams.

A decade ago, I found myself compelled to seek a place to pray within the walls of a church, not prompted by the traditional occasions of Easter or Christmas. While I had sporadically visited churches, this time was different. Drawn by an unexplainable influence, I stepped into the unfamiliar territory of Glendale Presbyterian Church. On that faithful Sunday, a visiting pastor delivered a sermon that seemed tailor-made for my ears, resonating deep within my soul. Overwhelmed by a sense of amazement and inner comfort, I shared my experience with my family and made an unusual decision—to return the following week.

Seated again in the back of the sanctuary, I listened intently as the senior pastor took the pulpit, his words striking a chord within me. I was Touched. I was being Called. I was Awakened. In the following weeks, vivid dreams visited me, their messages clear and insistent: “Isn’t it time to be baptized?” and “It is time, follow me to the Sanctuary.”

Answering those vivid dreams, I approached the pastor and expressed my desire to be baptized on Easter Sunday. The pastor welcomed me, and I was baptized on Easter morning.

Nick Dow