I was born on January 15th, the exact date my grandmother was born, but 64 years apart. We were destined to be close together. We shared much in common, from personality to favorite types of food. We also celebrate our birthday together, even if we are not physically together. I chose not to attend a university that wears red and is known to jump around only because she doesn’t like the state of Wisconsin. She’ll even be the first to tell you that I am her “favorite” grandchild. Despite our similarities, one thing that we didn’t always share was our faith in Christ.
My grandmother came from a very tough background and dealt with a lot of misfortune. Despite all of this, she continues to live a life of optimism, and this is possible through her belief in Christ. In the years that I grew up around my grandmother, I was introduced to Jesus. I attended Church and learned about who Jesus was and what he did. However, I was too young to truly understand and accept my faith. Eventually, I moved to a different state, away from my grandmother, and for many years, I lived a life separated from God. I lost my belief and relied wholly on myself to guide my life.
Almost a decade later, I started attending the University of Minnesota. God introduced me to one of his followers, who I became a close friend of. This friend tried introducing me to Cru, a campus ministry at my university, but I wouldn’t budge. Eventually, I decided to give Cru a chance, which led to my reintroduction to the Lord. It was through Cru that I started to understand more about why my grandmother has faith despite all her hardships. Cru also led me to Hope Community Church, and I fell in love with the passion for Christ that the staff and members shared. It was through Hope’s Romans series that inspired me to read more of the Bible. The more I attended Hope and read the Bible, the more I started to realize what it means to be a follower of Christ and live a Christ-centered life.
A Cru staff member once mentioned to me that God reveals himself to us in ways that make sense to us. For me, this was through my grandmother, who set the foundation. This foundation was later built upon when God led me to my Cru, who then led me to Hope Community Church. Hope CC led me to fully trust in Jesus for my salvation, which I was able to proclaim through my baptism at Hope’s kickoff event in September 2024. I am beyond blessed for this opportunity that God has given me. More importantly, I am beyond blessed to be a follower of Christ, as through him, I’ve been gifted new life.
John 14:6 – 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
