Crisis: An event that changed me was when I got closer to God.

Before I
realized how much I needed Him in my life, I did a lot of things that I shouldn’t
have, which led to poor circumstances and significant changes in my life. There
was a period where I was sad all the time and would cry every night. I didn’t feel
like I fit in with any of my peers, and it was hard for me to make friends. I
struggled with self love, and I remember there were times when I wished I had
anyone’s life but my own.
Approach to fear: I grew up in a family where God was deeply appreciated and
praised. But up until about a couple months ago, I never had my own relationship
with Him. I always believed in God, but I've come to realize that actions really do
speak louder than words. I had a fear of building an actual relationship with God
because I knew it meant I would have to change certain aspects of my life and let
go of things that I didn’t want to let go of. As a young teenager, we all just want to
have fun and do whatever we want without limitations, and I knew that once I
started my journey with Him, I would have many limitations. I was scared that I
would fail Him, so I kind of just pushed the thought aside and focused on myself.
But then I realized that I needed Him in my life because, with Him, I could have a
much better life.
Call to adventure: I knew that starting my journey with God was going to be
hard, but I knew it was what I needed to do. I started praying every night before I
went to bed, and as I got used to talking to Him, I began reading the Bible. God
has specific rules that He wants us to follow, so I knew that if I really wanted to
get close to Him, I had to follow His word and His word only. I wanted to know
what He says is right or wrong, not what other people say is right or wrong. There
are days when I fall short on certain things, sometimes I forget to pray, and some
days I don't read the Bible, but the most important thing is to believe. And if you
believe, it will come to you naturally. It’s been hard, and I know there will be
many things in life that I want or want to do but can’t. But whenever I feel like
that, I know there's only one question I’ll have to ask myself: Is that thing more
important than God? And the answer will always be no. The biggest thing I’m
struggling with right now is realizing that I have to cut certain people out of my
life. There are people I’ve gotten attached to, but they aren’t good for my spirit
and tempt me to do things that I shouldn’t.
Assistance: When times get hard and I feel like I’ve disappointed Him, I have to
realize that no matter how many times I mess up, God will always forgive and
love me. When I think about how He sacrificed His own Son so that we could
make as many mistakes as we need and still have a chance to be with Him in the
end, I know that’s a different kind of love. No one will love us like He does. If I
feel like I have no one there for me, I know He will be. And with Him by my side, I
know that I can accomplish my journey to getting closer to Him because He won’t
allow me to quit.
Resolution: I’ve had many blessings in my life, and I know it’s because of Him. I
feel like He’s rewarded me with a different mindset. When I'm struggling with any
problem I have, all I have to do is pick up the Bible, talk to Him about it, and He
will show me how to resolve any problems. I’ve learned that I can’t fight through
tough times by myself. When I have problems, He’s the person I need to talk to
because if you give it to God, He will have a solution for you. We might not see it
in the moment and might wonder why certain things happen to us in life, but we
need to remember that God wouldn't give us more than we can handle. So, when
we're going through a rough time and it feels like we’ll never get out of it, it’s
really God building our strength to get through much bigger issues in the future.
New life: I’ve already learned so many new things. I have a different perspective
on the way I treat people. I’ve learned to treat people better and be kind, even to
those who aren’t kind to me. Instead of getting mad at people and having anger
in my heart, I have to pray for them. I’ve learned that I shouldn’t feel jealousy
because, if I have God, there’s nothing to be jealous of. I’ve learned that beauty
on the inside is much stronger than beauty on the outside. Instead of worrying
about my physical appearance as much, I need to focus on being a better person
because that’s what makes a person truly beautiful. There are things in my life
that I’ve been trying to change because they don’t meet the requirements that
God set. There are so many things I realize I have to change, but I also have to
remind myself that it’s a process and that everything doesn’t just change
overnight. I know I will make mistakes, but as long as I ask God to guide me, I
will always get back on track. Even though it’s been a hard journey and I’ve
already made plenty of mistakes, it’s also the best decision I’ve made in my life.