I grew up in a Christian home, and I am severely thankful for that. But growing up in a Christian home doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come with sin struggles. It also doesn’t mean automatically having a personal relationship with God.

I would say I basically grew up in Virginia, and when I was in elementary school, I was introduced to some pretty harsh sin that would drastically hurt me. When I was told of the weight of this sin and how much it was damaging me, I started to hate everything it was connected with. One of those things was where I was going to school. I started to hate the idea of going to middle school the following fall, but at that point, it was my only option.

Then I had my first ever moment of hearing the Lord talk to me. He told me to not go to that school but instead go to a school called Covenant Christian Academy. This school was amazing, and it taught me to better my education and seek the Lord at the same time. My two years in this school were incredible. I made so many good friends in the two years that I went there.

Then I got the bad news that we were moving! We were moving to Pennsylvania. I had lived there before, but I didn’t know it like I did Virginia. I was so angry with God because I was just learning who He is and now He was pulling me away. I thought, how could He make me leave right when I was finally getting comfortable? This move was hard; it stripped me away from good friendships and shoved me into a middle school filled with strangers all wearing masks and social distancing in the middle of COVID-19.

My first year in Pennsylvania was when I lost the spark that was starting for Jesus. But little did I know that God was connecting me with a group that He would use to change my life. The youth ministry at LEFC called Crossover became my place of belonging. Yes, everyone was wearing masks just like at school, but I still loved to be there. God was definitely moving in my heart that year.

My freshman year I absolutely fell in love with my life group. These were my people. Then on the winter retreat that year, after one of the sessions, I got super emotional. God was talking to me again, and He said, "Hey I love you, look at what I have provided you with. I know this wasn’t easy, but you now have a belonging in your life and with me.” I was sobbing, and my leader Micah saw me and came over to me and I told him all about it. I shared with him the hurt I felt knowing that I had hated God unjustly, but I was now excited for the upcoming future I had with Him. We then prayed together and went back to the cabin for more shenanigans with my group. That night I truly put my faith in Jesus. He had shown just what he had provided for me.

A Bible verse that sums it up well is Galatians 2:20-21 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.”

Jesus is my Savior, and I want to get baptized today because I want to proclaim that I belong to the body of Christ and His kingdom.