Walk in the Life

While mulling over what to write for my last column, I reflected on my testimony of what the Lord has done in and through my life. Over the past year, I have shared personal struggles in my own walk with God, so it only seems fitting to share how that walk even began.

I grew up a Christian home. In church, I would memorize Bible verses and sing all the songs. It wasn’t until high school when I made a conscious decision not to follow God. I have always believed that God was real, but I just didn’t want to live a life abiding by Christian rules. I wanted to do me. So, I went to church with my family when required, and the rest of the week, I said and did whatever I wanted. I figured when I was old and gray, I could pray for Jesus to forgive me of my sins, and I would end up in heaven.

Two major themes dominated my past: worldly success and attention. Due to my writing limit, I won’t go into detail, but my senior year, I hit rock bottom. Financial aid for attending a nationally well-known university fell through, and my long-term relationship came to an end. The two things I held dearest in life slipped through my fingers. That’s when I got on my knees and cried out, “God, if you are real, you need to fix this. My life is falling apart.”

I cried that out to God one night in April 2012. And in June 2012, I broke down in tears and surrendered my life to Him. I’ll skip some details to make a long story short, but the main point is that I was frustrated with my brokenness. My 5-year plan was shattered, and I felt shame from past mistakes.

From being raised in a Christian home, I knew I needed to look to Jesus and understand that when He died on the Cross for my sins, He washed away my mistakes, my shame, and all my impurity. All I had to do in response was accept Him into my life as my Lord and Savior. The restoration and overwhelming flood of peace that washed over my soul were crazy. I still remember all the emotions, where it happened, and who I was with.

To look back at the last five years of walking with the Lord is WILD. He opened doors for me to come to WKU and to cultivate lasting relationships and memories on the Hill. I have continued to grow in my relationship with Christ as He continues to mold me to reflect Him better.

I seriously would love nothing more than to share my entire story with new and old friends during my last days on campus. Please, please, please, reach out if you ever want to talk over coffee. To all of you who faithfully read my column over the last year, much thanks and appreciation.