Hello, lovelies!

Now some of you already know. I am a Christian. Born and Raised. Almost as soon as I plopped out of the womb my head was swaying to gospel tunes and I was church stomping down the aisle to the altar. Okay, I'm exaggerating a little bit but baby trust I'm not stretching the truth too far.

Anywho, any church kid knows that being a Christian isn't seen as 'cool' to the world because it isn't the norm. In fact standing for God often means sitting out, speaking up, or changing up your atmosphere altogether. And being a Christian in college and in this modern world don't make it any easier to do those things.

In fact, it's so easy to be ashamed, and seek to cower because we're afraid to be who we are. I don't know hopefully a sistah or brother can relate out there cause this is my story to a T.

My freshmen year of college was a sand storm of closet Christian tendencies. I found myself scared to pray openly, speak my truth or take my personal time with the Lord. Now friends and fellow students didn't despise me for my faith. They didn't wanna argue with me or fight me. In fact, people seemed pretty chill. Still, even with that 'okay' I still felt like some weird alien walking on soil that wasn't my own.

So I cowered. I stopped praying like I used to. I let the world melt itself into my life and put God on mute. Now, sure I kept quotes on my wall, but my inner man, my real soul was dying cause I was too ashamed and afraid to feed it.

But darling ain't nobody got time to live my life that way. Closeting the reality of my Christian identity only makes me fake to the world. And shoot if I only get this one life I've got to be authentic, real as ever and proud of it.

Now don't get scared. Not I nor hopefully any other Christian is gonna jump down your throat with the bible. But baby I will, however, pray for you, not just in cute texts but in my war room. I will refrain from certain things cause I know my soul can't handle that type of steady diet and if you roll with me who knows you might like me. And even if you don't, I don't care, cause I can't.

And to my fellow Christian brothers and sisters, when you go to college, seek to be your complete self. In a world where we are all encouraged to be different confident individuals, you too have just as much a right to be confident in yours. Come out, baby. We weren't meant to be hidden under shades. We are cities on hills and if we don't shine, what's the point of calling ourselves a Christian?

Much love,

Eliana A. Rowe