I was blessed to grow up in a family who went to Church every Sunday so I don’t remember a specific point when I became a Christian – I just went along to Sunday School, Campaigners, GB and Holiday Bible Clubs for as long as I can remember.
However, I do remember one specific time when I really felt like God was actually there and was listening to me – I remember praying at the MAD weekend one year and for the first time, experiencing my prayers actually being answered. I don’t remember anything as clear as this happening before so I was so amazed that our God, creator over the whole wide world and the one with power over life and death had actually heard my prayers which seemed so insignificant.
Since then, I’ve continually been encouraged by my family, friends, youth leaders and Sunday School teachers. Lockdowns have also helped me grow spiritually as I have had more time to read my Bible, listen to CU podcasts and learn lots from Bible Instagram pages. Although I really miss getting to see friends at Church and discussing some big Bible questions at Small Groups, being able to watch Church online and have Youth Fellowship zoom calls have helped me to stay strong in my faith even when we can’t be together.
In the middle of everything else in 2020, sickness hit my family and I really believe it was our faith, prayers and trust in God which has helped us persevere. Romans 5:3-4 – “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
For our family, it’s seemed like one trial after another this past year and for many people who are without God it would have been very easy to give up, let sickness win and question where God is in all of this, but for us our God never failed us or gave up on us. He never stopped moving in all of our lives, and He continues to do incredible things daily. I are so thankful for His never-ending love and mercy. In a year where everyone was so apart, and everything seemed so dark and hopeless, God didn’t social distance from us or forget about us – He united us all together. I think it’s safe to say that God’s not dead, He’s surely alive!
Psalm 18:16 – “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.”