There was a young girl i met about 6 or so months ago that started coming to our youth group back home. I just loved her, she was happy, hyper and loving! Although im not home enough to really build a good solid relationship with her, i still got to know her more and more through the months. This past break though i had found that this girl, Alexis grew up hardcore catholic. Then one day her friend emily invited her to our church and Alexis was like this is totally different from what i've been raised in, but she loved it. So she started coming all the time, but she did it just to learn more about our church and the AG. Then at some point she realized that she wasn't really living a "christian lifestyle" and so she decided to commit herself to God in a new and real way, to have a relationship with Him. So when i found all this out i was dying to interview her.
Alexis said that even though she's grown up in church her whole life she did not know Him, like she does now. She said she didn't really like the routines of the catholic church, but went because she was forced to until her parents got divorced then she stopped going, and only went once in a while. She said when she starting coming to our church something just "clicked" and made sense to her and she really liked what we were doing in our services, because they were so different from what she had always known.
Then i asked her what helped her the most to cross over that line and make a commitment to Christ. Alexis in such a joyfully and excited way said, "Once i saw and realized the difference God made when i made him appart of my life," was what helped her the most. When God wasn't just some far away "thing" we did every sunday, when she realized He could live in us and be apart of our lives daily. I just loved her answer to this question, i actually cried, as in a tears streaming down my face when i interviewed her. It was soo amazingly beautiful to see a young girl who was passionately searching for more of God and loving every minute of it!
I asked her what has been the beset part about coming to know Christ. This has to be said in her own words, "The way i feel! I am naturally a crazy hyper person, but i just feel a constant happiness and i have optimism, i mean i still have bad days, but who doesn't? This joy helps me to reflect that happiness to other!" That's where it's at right there. That this joy that God has filled her with is being used to help others! Yes! Amen! That's exactly what i hope all new believers and "old" believers should fill. Sometimes even after reading this, i thought well i should be way more happy to share joy with others now that i've been on this journey so long, but we usually only see such excitement in new believers..why is that? Do we lose something along the way? I am not quite sure.
Next i asked her what was one of the most challenging things she has had to face since becoming a Christian. Since her parents are divorced, her mom doesn't go to church all that often, but her dad is still a hardcore catholic. She said that her dad always sayd "born a catholic, always a catholic." to her and things of that nature. They think that anything outside of being catholic is a cult and they don't like it. So she's struggling with trying to share with them what God has really done in her life. Alexia said that she would continue to follow Christ regardless of what anybody might say.
I also asked Alexis what are the things that help her to grow. She said that the things God shows her everyday, the way that He helps her. she said "Everything about Him is great and I'm just so amazed by him everyday!" Not only can you hear her love for God, but when you see it in her face, it just makes me so happy!
The last question i asked her was for advice she would give to me or others on try to help them grow in their faith. At first she only said one word, ENCOURAGEMENT! She said she was blessed to come to such a good church family that loved and accepted her. She also said though to have a more open mind and eyes.
This whole interview was just like a breath of fresh air to my lungs. I think i feel like this because this is how we were made, to see people grow in Christ, to help people draw nearer to their savior, it's supposed to be a beautiful and touching thing, but now it's just a raise of a hand and who knows if any thing follows after that, i want to see kids not just make commitments, but to see growth in them, but i guess that's what everyone wants to try to do, we just haven't figured the perfect formula for that yet, and will we ever?
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