When I was starting middle school, my church fell apart. It no longer existed and so my family had nowhere to go. So, my uncle started a bible study that lasted from 2010 to this part November. I remember when it first started, I wanted nothing to do with God. I didn’t want to talk about it, I kind of wanted to believe in it but I surely didn’t care enough about eternity.

I was a bit moody. Everyone in my family knew I was dealing with lots of things. But you know what? They never got rid of me! What a miracle! Because if I had to deal with that version of me… I don’t know…

But you know what? The best thing my family ever did for me was:

1. Believe in me

They always knew I was capable of doing great things. Even know, they all believe in me even when I don’t

2. Pray for me

They never really knew what to do for me when I was at my worst, so they asked God to touch my heart and He did. When I finally let Him in, He changed my entire world upside down and brought things in that I never expected

3. Yell at me

Yes, my aunts and uncles, my mom, and grandmother have all raised their voice at me a few times. To some, that’s absurd, but for me, it’s true. I was a lot to handle but you know what? Just because they yelled at me doesn’t mean they ever stopped loving me.

4. Be there for me

There was never a time that I went through something that I didn’t think my family would support me through. My aunts give me the best advice and my uncles give me the love of a father (and car help) and I couldn’t ask for more.

5. Constantly love me when I was unlovable

There’s nothing more that I can say. But my family has been there through some of my darkest days and I’m forever grateful for them.