If you’re anything like me, you didn’t grow up in a church.
Easter was about the Easter Bunny and painting eggs, Christmas was about decorations and presents, and Good Friday was another day off of school. These holidays didn’t have any religious meaning. To be completely honest, I still don’t know the full meaning behind each of these occasions, probably because I’ve never read the Bible or been to a proper church.
If you’re anything like me, you’re struggling to find faith.
You’re struggling to find a reason to form a relationship with God. Maybe it’s because we didn’t grow up in a church, or maybe, put simply, we’re uneducated and unmotivated. This doesn’t mean we don’t believe, and we would love to have a relationship with God, but we’re just struggling to fully commit.
Maybe there's some people out there that are just having a hard time believing. That's alright too, but think about it... just because you cannot physically see Him, doesn’t mean He’s not there. You may not be able to see wind, but you sure can feel it. Maybe that's what we're missing out on.
Oddly enough, I attend a small, private, Christian-affiliated college in North Carolina. I know, strange. Why would a girl with little faith attend a private Christian school? Of course softball was my primary reason for going to Pfeiffer, but I learned about the Christian affiliation at my school and thought of this as an opportunity to explore my faith.
Despite what everyone believes about private Christian schools, Pfeiffer doesn’t pressure religion on anyone. Pfeiffer creates an environment that allows me to explore my faith and get as religiously involved as I choose. You don't have to pay thousands of dollars to attend a Christian school to get the opportunity. There are opportunities everywhere I've come to realize. In the community, online, self-practice. It's all up to what we want to do and how we want to grow in faith.
The chapel at Pfeiffer is open 24/7. I don’t think there has ever been a time when I visited the chapel and it was locked. God has seen all sides of me in that chapel…He has seen me during the morning when I’m tired and groggy, He has seen me in the afternoon when I need a break from my studies (occasionally I take my studies to the chapel), and He has seen me at 3 a.m. when I am most vulnerable. Despite the ups and downs, the good and bad, that chapel continues to stay open and God continues to invite me into his place of worship. I may not have much of a relationship with God, but this goes to show that He is always open to a relationship with any of us despite our past.
To those struggling to find faith like me, well, it’s on us. It won't just happen one day out of the blue. I’m not in the best position to be giving religious advice, but from the people I have seen in my life dedicate themselves to God, here’s what I have gathered from these wonderful people:
Decide what kind of relationship we want with God.
It’s up to us to take the initiative and time to form a relationship with Him.
Take time out of our day to talk to God.
Cast your worries upon Him, but don't forget to thank God everyday for the many blessings He puts in our lives. I tend to think of a relationship with God like a relationship with any other person. There will never be a relationship if you don’t take the time to learn about them or spend time individual time with them.
Find people that will support and encourage our interest.
Educate ourselves about God.
Let’s finally crack open the Bible and chip away one page at a time.
To those struggling to find faith...
You aren’t the only one. You are never alone, and it's never too late to make up for lost time.
