We've all been there. Sometimes things get hard and life hits us fast. When this occurs, most of the time we seem to think it's the end of the world. In these dark times we seem to lose sight in who we really are and it causes us to do irrational things. Maybe you've never been there, but if you have then keep reading.

If you've ever thought your world was stopping and coming to an end I can relate. When the storm hits it feels like it never stops. It may cause you to do things you never thought you would do, like do illegal things such as drinking, smoking, etc. Worst of all, it may cause you to start to doubt your faith in God. If you're like me, that's exactly what it would cause you to do. While going through high school, I faced many hardships in life that were hard to conquer. My mother, who was a single mother, broke off from my step father of eight years, causing my home life to flip drastically. My mom went out more, in order to try and forget her soul mate. My mother was working three jobs just to help keep the house we had in a nice suburban neighborhood. My mom worked all day and all night and we were barley making due. On top of that, my friend's father that I looked up to as a father figure passed away just a week after my mom and step father separated. All these things occurring at the same time made me think "how could there be a God?" How could there be someone who cares, loves and wants the best for me, but is allowing my life to crumble? It only got worse from there, as I fell into drinking non-stop and losing sight in my goals and who I really was. I turned my back on my religion, thinking that it was all just a hoax to keep people in line and make them not want to mess up.

As my life continued and life got harder, I continued to blame God for my problems occurring. I wasn't realizing that God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers and that the day is dark just before the dawn. I continued to believe that there was no God as I began to lose friends due to poor decisions. I began to lose myself in alcohol and partying. Things began to get hard when I looked at myself in the mirror one night and realized I was lost. I looked into my eyes that were blood shot red and realized my soul was screaming for help. I began to slowly wake up. I was tired of watching myself go down a path of emptiness. I was tired of seeing my mom cry over bills and not knowing if she was going to be able to afford the next bill. I wanted to help my mother out and I got a full time job, working 50 plus hours a week. After working 50 plus hours a week and playing football, I was super exhausted and still was not bringing in enough money to help my mother through the struggle. My friend's brother told me that selling drugs was the way to go. As a 17-year-old boy, seeing him have women, a nice car and anything he wanted, I believed him. I began to watch my friends sell weed and thought it was OK because we were just trying to get money. I watched my friend overdose, I watched someone get shot and watched my friends turn on one another due to greed. I again looked up to the sky and questioned God. How can there be a God? How would he allow his sons to endure these experiences? I continued to question my faith as time progressed.

My senior year I was introduced to Young Life and it changed my life. My Young Life leader, Nate Wise, helped me out after a long personal conversation after club one night at Chick-fil-A. From that point on, I began to strengthen my relationship with God. I began to understand these hardships make us who we are and God has a special plan for all of us. Nate helped me find God and realize what it meant to have a relationship with God. I learned that things eventually get better. So if you ever feel as if God is causing your problems, he's not. If you feel like he isn't there, he is, even if you don't realize it. God will always be beside you whether you believe it or not. This story influenced my song Temporary Religion. Understand that things will get better and God is by your side. No matter how hard times are getting, they will get better through him. Here is my song Temporary Religion:

Temporary Religion Lyrics

(Verse 1)

Coming from the 'ville where these people barley make it

My town filled with drugs and everyone starting to take it

Kids posting on the media like they really embracing

Which is causing me to sit back and lose my faith in...

God I'm asking

How you letting them do this?

Take all these drugs black out then it's loopis?

Feel like I'm in the Lyons den

My name ain't even Lucius

It's causing me to my question faith

Cause all these kids social status is pinned by their drug intake

So I'm losing faith in heaven

I'd done lost my faith in hell

Y'all ain't worrying about degrees but you're worried about the drugs you sell.

Damn..Man...

we use to be best friends

now we’ve become so distant

drugs changed him I had to keep my distance

Partying got the best of him

Now he on pills

I can't be around him

I ain't trying to get caught up in the 'ville

Life is getting to hard to bare

Is there even a God?

Because this really ain't fair

They making me question my religion

Do you really need to cross a border just to do his "mission"

If you don't post about it then it's something that we're missing

Cause if we don't see a photo society not claiming you a "Christian"

It's people like this that are ruining religion

Preaching bout God but not to kids with these addictions

These addictions

And damn Ma I see you crying all the time

Wondering if your ex is still running through your mind

Everytime he does you pour another glass of wine

I know things are hard now Ma but give me time

And I promise I got us cause I know that we've came from less

But having you as my mom I've never felt so bless

Having you as my mom I never felt so bless

(Hook)

Lift your hands to the sky

Hold your hands hold them high

Don't give in on the fight

I promise going to survive

No matter the pain you take

No matter the tears that rain

Look,up to the sky

Everything’s gonna be alright

(Verse 2)

I'm taking y'all back

Back to my old ways

Back to when I was trapping in the high school hall way

Daps with kids

20 for that packed Jay

They knew me as the… low low seller

I was young and I ain't even know no better

but I'm acting like my father and I know I'm better!

Times was hard

I couldn't stand to see mama cry

So many nights

no lights

Looked to the sky 'n asked why

My friend tried to put me on by selling the high

I was interested seeing all the money he had

listen to him reminice bout all these bitches in class

thinking to myself that's how I wanted to be

he said it’ll happen yeah if you start selling this G

Told me become realistic put down the pad

He went on to say how he's the richest alive

And that white powder Audi signaled no reason to lie

I wanted the cash so I started selling the cush

and if people hit my line I referred to 'em as books

now I'm asking where is my God?

now you saying he here but I don't see him in sight

I'm in a house reupping

while watching people snort white

when I got held for an ounce there won’t no angle in sight

or how bout the time the man got shot and I saw his soul take flight

Hold up man that's when I awoken

my friend said he cared about me

ha he must have been joking

'cause if he did he wouldn’t have put me in the game

but it's my fault for listening no one else is to blame

hope I can form my relationship with God again

'cause the things I’ve done I'm going to place with the flames

Now stop sit back and picture what I invision

aligning my words to paint this picture with precision

aligning my word to paint this picture with precision

At the age of 18 never had a stable home

So am I suppose to believe I will when I'm dead and gone

I mean I know this ain't just me

Look at how we living in society

Kids can't even walk to the store

'Cause they ma is scared they won't make it home through the door

'Cause the kid had his hands up and the man still shot

Even though he was told to sit and wait by the cops

(Hook)