Before Jesus Changed My Life
I grew up in the Catholic Church I was very involved, going to church every Sunday, getting confirmed, serving, ushering, and volunteering as a youth teacher. I felt like I knew Jesus but didn't have a relationship with him. Junior year of high school, my life took a turn. I lost my mom unexpectedly, the person who pushed my family to go to church. I then stopped believing and stopped going to church. When I came to college, I started getting into worldly things and having worldly relationships and friendships. I was jumping from one thing to the next, looking for satisfaction and approval from things around me. All of that caused me to be depressed; it felt like I was in a hole that I could never get out of.
How Jesus Changed My Life
A few months into college, I met an amazing friend from work who got me going to Salt on Thursdays. I continued to go every Thursday and tried to find the satisfaction in Jesus everyone was talking about but still continued to want satisfaction and approval from others. I then stopped going to Salt over the summer of 2024 and fell into a deeper hole. Then in August of 2024, I went to the Salt kickoff. After the first night of Salt, I picked up my Bible for the first time on my own. Since that day, I haven't gone more than a day without reading my Bible. It felt like I had a parent, a teacher, and someone who will never leave me.
My Life After Jesus Saved Me
After meeting Jesus, I felt like a whole new person. I hated sin, prayed every day, repented not just to myself but also to others, left wordy relationships, and found my satisfaction in Jesus. All of my desires have changed; instead of trusting myself and worrying, I put all my trust in him. I can’t make it a day without him; he is my strength. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me” (Psalm 28:7). The only person I wanted to please was God because only his opinion matters. There are some days I feel down, but I remember, “We rejoice in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” (Romans 5:3-4) ”For you have been given not only the privilege of trust in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (Philippians 1:29). Whenever I feel down, I remember God is in control; he has a plan for me. I remember this life is temporary; the suffering is temporary, and it will lead to eternal glory. I believe my suffering and struggles got me here today; they made me who I am. That strength did not come from me; it came from Christ. He is the good news I will continue to share the good news with the people, just like my friend at work who led me to Christ. Jesus gave me hope and joy. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23)