I didn’t grow up in church. My father wasn’t present in my life at all. For the most part, I lived my life on cruise control. Eventually, I started attending Southside Christian School. During my time there, I thought I was a Christian. After being there for a little over a year, I was invited to Fellowship and enjoyed it, but then Covid hit. Six months passed, and I barely opened my Bible or attended church. One day, Rachel Bailer texted me and asked me if I would be interested in joining a class called “Liminal.” I agreed. After a while, I began to understand that I wasn’t as alone as I thought I was. One time, We had an opportunity to serve at Griggs Church by giving food to those in the neighborhood around the church.  

Towards the end of our time there, we broke into small groups, and I ended up in a group of guys. There was a man that sat next to me. He was a meth addict, just like three other men in that group. He talked a lot about how much pain he had been in, and he used meth to numb the pain he felt. His life was a dark pit before he found Christ. In a strange way, I empathized with him. I, too, had felt a deep and dark loneliness. But I realized that everyone there had a joy and happiness that I had never experienced. After that night, I realized that because of Jesus, I didn’t have to be lonely anymore. All of these years of being in a Christian school and a church and I never realized that Jesus could take away my pain and loneliness. I found a life with purpose, conviction, and joy. I was no longer alone. So, on January 3, 2021, I gave my life to Jesus, and I’m so excited to continue to grow in my walk with him.