I wasn’t always the nicest to people, and I often tried to be the best at everything I participated in. One of my main goals was to be the best at whatever I did. One solution I thought would work for my life was believing that if I had all the trendy things, I would be cool and fit in at school.

The gospel became truly beautiful to me this summer at church camp. As we sang and worshiped, and as I listened to the messages, I was deeply moved and my heart began to change. The turning point was when I finally understood what Jesus had done for me. Trusting and surrendering to Christ, to me, meant trusting him even in tough times. Christ ultimately satisfied me when he opened my heart to him at camp and showed me that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through him.

Since placing my faith in Jesus, my life has changed. I’ve become kinder to others, and I no longer feel the need to be the best at everything. Instead, I aim to do my best and include others. I’ve also seen a change in how I view myself. I no longer care about being the best-looking person with all the expensive, trendy things. I just want to be seen as a girl who doesn’t worry about what others think, but as someone who follows God with all her heart.