i was very religious in high school
When I was 15 I signed a contract that said I wouldn’t drink alcohol, wouldn’t engage in homosexual activities, and would be celibate until marriage. A couple of those things will give you pink eye. All jokes aside, I don’t think I should have had to sign that contract at such a young age, not knowing who I was or not yet having the skills to discern whether those choices actually aligned with my life. But this mindset has taken me almost three years to break down.
Jesus saved my life. When I was in seventh grade, I accepted my Lord and savior Jesus Christ into my heart. Now, the Holy Spirit lives within me. From the ages of 12-18 I attended church every Sunday, albeit some for swimming purposes. My junior and senior year of high school I was attending church up to 3 times a week. I led a small group in the morning, went to my high school ministry at night, and Bible study on Wednesdays. As I got deeper into the word, my faith grew. I learned so many valuable lessons and led my life in such a way that reflected the Lord. I also had a group of equally yoked friends that I was in fellowship with. My love for the Lord was deep, he was my closest friend and redirected my mind when I fell astray.
Leading a small group has been one of the best experiences of my life. I led a group of middle school girls throughout their entire middle school careers. They trusted in me in such a way that will probably never be replicated until I have kids of my own. We grew to love each other over very formative periods in our lives. As much knowledge as I shared with them, I gained back tenfold in learning how to lead and love people in unique ways. Even though I may see them only once a year, I still reminisce on the pictures, memories, and notes they gave me. I even baptized a couple of them.
My freshman year roommate said the most southern thing about me is that I brought my Bible to college.
I didn’t realize how greatly southern culture was influenced by Christianity and vice versa until I moved out of the south. It was not until I moved out of the south that I became separating the ideas of culture and religion. Due to my experiences, they were convoluted in my mind.
I tried going to church in college, it did not hold a candle to the resources and messages I received at my home church. So much so that I tried watching church online from a church that I liked. I enjoyed it, but a big part of church for me was the community. It’s not the same here-this is where culture and religion needed to overlap for me.
All of this to say. I’m not totally sure where I stand with religion, but I know the contract was not a good place to start.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-4
