Trials? Yes, Please!

Like anyone else who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal saviour, I've had my doubts. I've searched and I've prayed, and I've received peace. And I've had trials. But through those trials, I've grown so much in my faith and overwhelming love for my Heavenly Father, that I would never want to erase the horrible things that have happened to me.

I walked into highschool with strong faith. I was (I say in this in past tense, but I most definitely still am) in love with Jesus. I wanted to be nothing else but a light to the lost, to spread the gospel and truth of who Jesus is, what He's done for us, and how He desperately wants a relationship with you.

Remembering years in the past, I knew that this year was going to have its own set of difficulties. In the past two years I've spiritually grown- a lot. (Definitely not physically growing- I'm still 5'0! Haha.) One of the things I love about being a Christian, is that I know for the rest of my life I am never going to stop learing about God. There's always something else to discover in the Bible, and in my personal relationship with Him. I love it.

Well, this year, one of the biggest things I've had to overcome was peer pressure. Sure, I knew people last year that did the whole drinking, drug, sex thing, but it was never anyone I was especially close to. That changed this year.

A lot of my friends that I've known all the way back from Elementary school have changed their values. I remember doing D.A.R.E with them, and signing that little red card that said we will choose to be drug-free, and live healthy lives.

I expected people to do it anyway- I wasn't completely caught off guard. What I was caught off guard with was the pressure to do it too.

Personally, I never thought I'd have trouble saying no. It seemed simple when we learned about it in class. "Just say no, and walk away." But it's more than that.

The first time was easy. The second time... I started to wonder. And by the third- I was digging in my Bible, finding out why I was saying no. I prayed, I read, and God gave me an overwhemling peace. And now I know exactly why I am not going to drink or do drugs, or any of those things during high school. (Or college for that matter).

Why?

I have many personal reasons but here are a few:

1. I am going to stand before God one day and give him an account of my life. That is not something I want to say I did.

2. How can I be a light to others by giving in?

3. What is the point- besides fitting in?

People give me a hard time about it, and that's okay. But maybe someday they are going to need help- and I will be there. I won't be drunk, and I won't be high, and I won't be pregnant. I will be there for them.

It may sound a little weird- but I want trials. No, I'm not going to throw myself in a bad situation and then crawl my way out with God and suddenly I've grown in faith. But, I don't want to live with my head up in the clouds believing everything is perfect and I'm always going to be happy. Because everything is not perfect, and I will not always be happy. It's okay if I go through another crisis, or big problem. I trust God. I love Him. And I can't wait to spend eternity with Him. And I really, really want to grow with Him.

So in that way, I welcome trials.