I have been a part of a religious family my whole life, but that doesn’t mean that we go to church every Sunday and are the “perfect Christians.” Religious, in my opinion, is a relative term. It doesn’t always mean that you have to stop and pray before every meal, spend every Sunday in the sanctuary, or avoid anything that may be deemed a sin.

To me, my religion is more about how I treat others and how I serve God in what I do. I may sound like a hypocrite because I have definitely done some unreligious things, and I will be the first person to say that I am not always a good Christian. But that is one of the best parts about it; I can continue to grow and improve myself in every aspect.

My religion has meant a lot more to me than just going to church and listening to the sermon. Knowing that there is a greater power watching over me and that I can trust that he will lead me in the right direction is a comfort that I will forever be grateful for.

I have gone through some hard times where I was feeling very low, and God has shown himself to me in a way that allowed me to keep pushing forward. Usually it’s in a very indirect way, but I like to think that that is him looking out for me. When times are hard and I feel like I can’t do anything else, I pray because sometimes that’s all that can be done. I have to trust that things are in his hands, and I can’t always control everything.

Having another family through the church is something that I am very grateful for. It gives me another group of people in my life who look out for me and want the best for me. It’s hard to come by people like that. They have watched me grow up and all the different things I have done, and they will continue to be there to help me out when I need it, because we are there for each other.

I know many people will laugh at what I have written, but that’s okay. I’m not going to judge other people for what they believe, because I don’t expect them to do that to me. And I can understand why people would feel differently than me. There have been many times where I have questioned the existence of a higher power, because sometimes I have to ask myself how some of the terrible things in this world could happen. But at the end of the day, I have to believe that the good outweighs the bad, and continue to keep my faith. I would be no where without it and without the help of God.