“I know that being with God means I am never alone and that He will always be there to protect me, forgive me, uplift me, and guide me through this beautiful life. Getting baptized is a choice I made to declare my faith with a new life fully committed to God. This is only going to be the beginning of my walk with Christ, and I am so excited and grateful to continue growing in my faith and trusting where He leads me.”

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Growing up, I always knew of God and believed in God, but never knew God. It wasn’t until high school that this truly changed. One day during freshman year, I had a friend bring me to Young Life. I continued to go to Club on Mondays, but never really showed up to Campaigners on Thursdays.

Once I started getting more involved, my Young Life leader, Tiffany, got me a Bible. Not knowing how to really read a Bible, or even where to start, Tiffany always showed me and made sure I knew I could always ask for help. I began joining Tiff in church when possible, and this is when my relationship with God started to blossom.

Throughout my freshman and sophomore year, not much else had changed. I could feel that I had a relationship with the Lord, but I never knew that it could be so much greater. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that that had changed.

During my junior year, we got a new Young Life leader, Natalie. Tiffany and Natalie have been the biggest impact on my relationship with the Lord. We started doing small group Bible studies every Friday morning. These Bible studies really started to expand my faith and my relationship with Jesus.

As my relationship with Natalie kept growing, she helped me see the works of God in my day-to-day life, and her and Tiffany showed me just how powerful prayer can be.

I started attending church with Nat over the summer, and this is when my relationship with God truly changed. I began to feel like I’m walking with Him through life. Good and bad situations, He’s always there.

My first experience that really changed it all was when I was at my lowest point I had been in, in a very long time. I had lost myself and was very depressed all the time. I started to tell Tiffany about it, and she prayed over me.

Now, I had been prayed for before, but this was different. I remember taking a breath right after, giving Tiff a hug, and suddenly the knot in my chest loosened.

Later the next day, I got the daily text from the prayer channel on Instagram, and it was a prayer for happiness, community, and joy, and I knew it was meant for me.

That same day, someone at a store offered to pray for me. During this prayer, they prayed for the Lord to be my anchor in any storms I was going through. I felt the same tension in my chest loosen, and I knew God was with me.

I knew He was working in my life through people and physical feeling. Now, every day I continue to love and worship Christ in all that I do. By letting Him fully into my life, I feel like a changed person, a better, happier soul.

I am now a senior in high school and I feel happier and more hopeful than ever before. I have hope that no matter what happens, the Lord will never give me anything I cannot handle. I know that being with God means I am never alone and that He will always be there to protect me, forgive me, uplift me, and guide me through this beautiful life.

Getting baptized is a choice I made to declare my faith with a new life fully committed to God. This is only going to be the beginning of my walk with Christ, and I am so excited and grateful to continue growing in my faith and trusting where He leads me.

Philippians 1:6 says, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”