Before I truly met Christ, I was just going through the motions of a kid who grew up in a Christian household: read this, learn that, answer this Sunday school question, and so on. Not much to speak of, to be honest. However, much of that changed when I reached high school. For many, that threshold is like a turning point on their road to maturity, crossing from being a child to becoming a young adult. But to me, that was also a point of spiritual change.

Back in my freshman year, I went on a trip to Italy with my band. During this trip, I regretfully must say, I would often get sidetracked and even on certain occasions become separated from the group. The worst instance of this was when I got lost in a city for over an hour, far away from the group with a dead phone. It was at that point that I thought to myself, “This is it. I might actually be left behind in a foreign land. Now what?” In the midst of my anxiety, I had the most random thought to just pray to God for help, even though I had never really done much of that before. What happened next I truly believe is a miracle, as I was found by none other than my own group minutes later. God had provided me with the solution I needed to quell my worries and anxiety.

Fast forward a couple years, and although I haven’t been the most outwardly active or the most devout Christian, I like to believe that I try to put aside some time for the Lord a bit more than before, even if it’s just to talk to someone when I’m alone. I want to continue to thank the Lord more through my life and my actions. I wish to know Him more, so that I can be more thankful for what He’s done for me already, and I look forward to what He will do in the future.