Edge Corps

My dad was the youth director at the church that we went to for my first ten years of life, so I grew up going to church every Sunday, and being a “pastors kid”. Naturally, I’m a people pleaser, and live for what others think of me. So growing up I was really proud of my appearance as a good kid; sweet, helpful, and respectful! The truth is, I was terrified to cause conflict, and I felt angry and weak as a result. I’ve always believed in Jesus, but I didn’t always know what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus, and truly grapple with the weight of my own sin. In 7th grade, my family and I went to a winter retreat at a Christian camp down in Millersburg, Ohio. We had 3 chapel sessions, and at each one the speaker talked about Jesus in a way I had never heard before. He was so moved by the weight of his sin, knowing that it put distance between himself and his God, and he was moved even more knowing that Jesus took that weight away by living perfectly, and dying in the most shameful and painful way the Romans could come up with. That day I decided to take my faith seriously and pursue Jesus as he pursued me. Since then, my creator has been teaching me to grow in boldness and humility. There have been plenty of ups and downs, and it’s been messy, but it’s clear to me that life without Jesus is one that I don’t want to live at all!