There's something refreshing about being back in your college town. It's a new year, full of new goals, challenges & many unknown plans. As I am starting my Spring semester of my junior year I can't help but think about everything and everyONE who has helped me get to this point. Over the past few days I have been reflecting on how I got here. When I say here I don't mean here at Texas A&M University in College Station although I am thankful every day to be an aggie. I mean here as in my journey, my walk with God, and me trusting Him 100% with my life.
So, my journey.
First, I want to start off by saying that although I do not have this incredible life changing testimony my testimony is still my story and really did change my life in so many little & big ways. It has truly helped me to where and who I am today. My life growing up as a child was considerably "normal", I'd grown up as a Christian and in a family of 5 consisting of two sisters, my mom and dad, me being the middle child. We lived in a nice neighborhood, two story, 5 bedroom house. I couldn't be more thankful for my childhood. We had family in San Antonio that we would visit during the holidays and WE loved spending time with our cousins who were close in age to us. I was brought up to notice the importance of family and spending time with one another. Summers were spent with our cousins and as we got older we traveled to some amazing places and genuinely enjoyed one another's presence. With that little insight to my life, I now want to share my testimony.
Up until 7th grade me and my family were Catholic. Every Sunday me and my sisters would attend Bible School and then go to mass with my parents right after. I always knew who God was and I have always believed in God but at this time I never understood the importance of what it was like to actually know God. My 8th grade year I was invited to a one week summer camp called Beach Retreat in South Padre Island by my best friend at the time. Beach Retreat is a week trip where you get to spend time with old and new friends and just be in the presence of God. During Beach Retreat we started every morning by going out to the beach and doing Silent Sounds. Silent Sounds is a time where we would read our bibles and connect with God and talk to him without any distractions for 30 minutes. Anyone who has ever gone to Beach Retreat knows that this is one of the greatest parts about Beach Retreat. We would do many activities throughout the day and then end our day with worship and a message from our pastor, Dr. Ed Young. My first time at Beach Retreat I really connected with God on a whole different level. When I got back from Beach Retreat I told my family how much fun I had and they noticed how life-changing it really was for me. The week after Beach Retreat my family came to Second Baptist Church with me. Since we had grown up Catholic things we're a little different going into it. My family loves Second and I wouldn't have my relationship with God without the constant support and love that I had got from this Church over the past few years. I am so thankful that I was introduced to Second and had the opportunity to attend Beach Retreat. You see before I started going to Second I wasn't living out a Christ-like life. I was living a life where I knew who God was and believed in Him but I didn't know exactly what I was believing in. I definitely wasn't happy with just believing in God, I really wanted my relationship with Him to flourish, I wanted to know more. When I started going to Second I started attending Bible Studies, Life-Groups, Wednesday Night Worship, and weekend church events filling my days with Him and for Him.
Not everything was easy. If everything was easy I wouldn't be here sharing this blog with you. At times it almost seemed like things were way far form easy. High-school was not a breeze. Girls are mean, and boys...well, boys are boys. I suffered through some really hard times throughout high-school. But, I also don't know where I would have ended up if I hadn't known my One and only Father. I failed and fell short many times, probably one too many times. But, I am forever thankful for a forgiving God. A God who forgives me when I realize my failures and bring them to Him. This world is a sinful place, and you and I are far from perfection but that is okay because we have a perfect God who doesn't need us to be perfect. In high-school I was in a relationship that really wasn't pursuing me towards the Lord. It wasn't making me a better me. Rather the relationship was pulling me away from the Lord more than anything. Like God had planned, the relationship ended and it was one of God's biggest eye-opening plans for me to this day. The guy wasn't a bad person but he just wasn't the person God had planned for me. It took me awhile to realize that but man am I so glad I did. I'm thankful for everything the relationship had taught me because in my next one it taught me how to be a better me. Each relationship and each failure has left me a lesson. A lesson to always make God the center of each and every relationship. Through these relationships I have grown from them, grown in who I am, my worth, and in my walk with God. They have helped me mold into the person I am today.
If I could go back and talk to my teenage self; I would simply tell her to just enjoy life. Enjoy your time with your parents, friends, siblings & neighbors. As a junior in college I have witnessed how fast life really goes because honestly I feel like I should still be sitting in my high-school classroom barely listening to my teacher and counting down the minutes until lunch time. To this day I will never think I will ever be fully equipped to walk through this life confidently but I am a firm believer that with and through Jesus Christ I can conquer absolutely anything. So to my teenage self; be bold, courageous, and find your worth not in earthly things but in God and Him alone. Most of all know that you are truly a precious Child of God.
also shout out to my friends and family who have always pushed me in my walk to God. And to never forget to always be my absolute best and do everything with a grateful heart. I'm forever grateful to God for blessing me with the most encouraging people.
