T.S.Eliot says, “We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of all our exploring /
Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.”
My faith journey revolves around the time when I discovered that there is a difference between knowing about God and actually knowing God.
I was baptized and grew up in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I was also confirmed there in 1993 at the age of eleven. Until I was fourteen, attending church once a week was simply a routine that my dad and I followed. I soon decided that church was boring and left. I thought that the way I was living my life was good, I was comfortable with the direction I was going, and I did not need church.
Suddenly my life became stressful, and I found myself worrying a lot about my relationships with friends and family. When I finally realized that my problems were too big to carry on my own, I decided I had to “let go and let God.” I was attending a Baptist youth retreat with a friend. My only purpose in going was to be with her to show support, as I was sure that that weekend would be good for her. God, however, had a different plan. It turned out that I was the one who needed to bow before God, repent from my sins, and accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Since that day, May 23, 1999, I have called myself a Christian.
There are still times when I feel like denying my faith, especially when others consider me to be “too religious.” I try each day to avoid temptation and to stand for Christ. I am unashamed of the decision I made to follow Christ, and each day I rely on his Holy Spirit to grant me the power to get to know him more and more.
I now give back to God’s church and share my gifts with others by singing in the choir and by being a youth leader. I delight to worship and pray to God, and am thankful for my life in him. I have a passion to spend time with my Creator and to teach others about him.
