Like many, I come from a family with generational cycles of brokenness. Patterns of divorce,
substance abuse, and fractured relationships have all painted a picture of love that is unstable.
My identity was rooted in perfection through academics and sports, and I surrounded myself
with busyness to give meaning to my life.

Amidst many life changes during my senior year of high school, I finally came to God in a
moment of raw vulnerability where I asked for peace. God answered my prayer instantly, and I
began to understand how personal a relationship with Jesus could be. Although I had witnessed
beautiful moments of God’s faithfulness in others’ lives, I had only begun to see it in my own life.
I was still experiencing anxiety, and my family was never restored to what I hoped, but it was at
that moment that my faith became real, and I truly felt refuge in the presence of God.

As I began college, God continued to surprise me with his faithfulness. He put lovely people in
my life who met me with grace and patience. These people became tangible expressions of
God’s love, and their heart for Jesus helped me strengthen my relationship with Him. I learned
to choose bravery in our divine calling and to seek God through uncertainty.
As I learn to trust God and dream alongside Him, I have the freedom to move through the world
with a grounded confidence in His redemptive plan. In this life, we will know pain and doubt.

There will be moments when accepting God’s goodness and grace seems daunting, and our
perception of Him may become clouded by human frailty. But the fruitfulness of His divine love
that I have been lucky enough to know is a testament to the hope and truth we can find in
Jesus.