There’s something wonderfully magical about childhood. Can you remember when the world still seemed fresh and new, and learning new things often left you bug-eyed, exclaiming, “Did that really happen?”

The story of Saul’s conversion in Acts 9 caused a lot of people to ask, “Are you serious? Did that really happen?” Saul had become an infamous character to the early church, known by all as a persecutor of Christians. But that changed one day as he was traveling to Damascus. He began his journey with the intent to wreak more havoc on the church, but that day, he met Jesus. The brightness of the Lord’s glory left Saul blind, so the people traveling with him had to assist him in getting to Damascus.

As God always does, He was working on the other end as well. I love how specific God was when he spoke to Ananias. He told him the name of the man he was to look for, the city of his birth, the name of the street he was to seek out, the name of the man who owned the house on that street, that Saul was blind, and that he would be praying. God then added, he knows you’re coming, and I told him your name. I have little to no respect for these so-called modern-day prophets who get up and say, “Somebody here has a pain.” I’m very healthy, as far as I know, but at my age I usually have a pain somewhere most every day!! But that’s a subject for another time.

When God told Ananias who he was to visit, his first reaction was, “Are you serious? Do you not know what kind of man this fellow is?” God assured Ananias that He did, and that He had a special ministry for him. As word began to spread of Saul’s conversion, many people began asking, “Did that really happen?” Even the disciples back in Jerusalem questioned his conversion. Saul’s reputation was so bad that he had to change his name. Reminds me of the song, “There’s A New Name Written Down In Glory.” It took the courage and kindness of Barnabas, standing in support of Saul, to convince everyone that the man who came to be known as Paul had truly been saved.

Saul changed because he met Jesus. A man who was spiritually blind before he became physically blind had his eyes opened to the truth. The persecutor became a preacher. What did people say about us when they heard there had been a change in our lives? Was the transformation so radical that they were asking, “Did that really happen?”