What was life like before you met Jesus?
Before Christ, sports were at the center of my life. My happiness and joy were found in my performance in sports. But instead of gaining joy and happiness, I lost happiness, joy, and hope because I was idolizing sports. What I thought would change this was by working harder or spending more time in my sport.
How did you meet Jesus?
I was raised in a Christian household and have believed from a young age. As I got older I let sports consume my life and I didn't realize that until COVID. Because of COVID, my senior basketball season was canceled and I didn't know what to do. My "purpose" was taken away from me just like that. I went and worked at an FCA camp that summer before my freshman year of college and God really just convicted me of where my identity had been for the last couple of years. At camp I made the decision that from that point on I was going to live for Jesus and be on mission for him every day. I wanted to change the words that were coming out of my mouth and actually live like and for Jesus. I had believed my entire life that Christ sent his son to die on the cross for my sins and because I had faith and believed that, I was saved, but the way I was living my life didn't show that. I love how in John 10:10, it says, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." We don't deserve that and it just shows how much God loves us. Also right before that in John 10:9, through Jesus is the only way to be saved and to have abundant life/eternal life. He is the door.
After being saved by Jesus, what is your life like now?
Christ has provided me with a community of people that I was missing from my life. People that disciple me and I am also able to pour into. He has put me in situations that have really tested my faith, and the only way I was able to get through those was by fully trusting in him and his plans for me. Since being saved, I am free and have been able to put my complete trust in Christ and baptism is a part of my walk of obedience with him. Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Ephesians 2: 8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” It isn't because of anything that I have done but because of what Christ did for me.