I was raised a “Christian”. My parents led music in church and my brother and I spent our days in Sunday school. But, there was never a point in my childhood where I said “I understand Lord, come into my heart”. I never made a commitment to serve Him, at least not that I can remember.
We stopped going to church when I was about eight or nine but that’s not my story to tell. What is my story is how I met a girl in my 5th grade class who invited me to a local youth group called Surge. There I spent my 5th through 8th grade years with the impression that because God loves I could act however I wanted during the week as long as I repented on Wednesday nights.
I was judgmental, a hypocrite, and had still not asked God into my heart or made a commitment to Him. Through these years of confusion as well as other life circumstances my heart began to grow cold and I began to hate God.
Towards the end of my 8th grade year my family started attending the church my dad had grown up in. Let’s just say that I was NOT into it… at all! But, it was exactly where God wanted me. I ended up, not by choice, on a ski trip in February of 2013.
Remember, at this point my heart is practically a steel ball when it comes to the subject of God.
The first night we attended a worship service at the Fire and Ice Conference led by All Sons and Daughters. God used their songs “Reason to Song” and “All the Poor and Powerless” to soften my heart. The next night a man named Clayton King preached a message on salvation and how it can’t be passed down from your parents. Salvation is a personal choice to follow Christ.
February 2nd, 2013 I gave my life to Christ.
But, it wasn’t until some time later when I began attending Peace Church in 2014 that I learned the true meaning of a Christian. Society tells us that Christianity is a prayer and church on Sundays, this is not true.
Christian: Christ Follower; one who desires to be like Christ
That’s exactly why I want to go on the World Race: Gap Year. Simply because more than anything I crave to be like my Savior. To follow Him to the ends of the Earth spreading the joy that comes from knowing his love and loving him in return.
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24
