During the pandemic, I was having a really tough time emotionally. I was feeling really lonely and kind of hopeless at times. One day, when I was feeling especially down, I suddenly had the idea that I should pray and read the Bible. I did, and I felt so much better. I really felt loved by God.
Before that time, I believed in God, but I’d never really felt like I knew Him personally. My faith wasn’t really my own. I knew the facts but, before this experience, I didn’t really feel that connected to God. I’m so grateful that I had this experience. I think that the desire to pray and read the Bible in that moment came from God, and I feel like I have started to grow into a better and happier person since that day. Of course, there have still been ups and downs, but I have felt loved and supported both by my family and friends and by God. There have been many times when prayer or Bible verses have helped me feel so much better.
Since then, I’ve tried to get more involved both in the church and in general. I’ve gone to church and school events. I’ve volunteered more and I’ve gotten baptized. I think that my experience during the pandemic not only helped me in my spiritual journey but also helped me to take more control of who I am and to live life purposefully. I’m learning to stop living just to get through each day and to start actually living one day at a time. During the pandemic, I thought I was in a cycle I couldn’t escape, a relentless, depressing whirlwind I couldn’t pull myself out of. But the thing is, I didn’t have to pull myself out of it, and I don’t know if I really could have by myself. My family, my friends, and God helped me realize that there was a way out.
Now, I sometimes fall back into the cycle of just getting through each day, but only for a short time. I’ve learned how to get out of it, and, really, what I have learned is that it’s impossible to get out without help. I’ve learned to accept that help and to ask God for that help, and, when I don’t even want to ask for help, God reminds me that He is there.
I’m so grateful for the help that God gave me, both during the pandemic and during my entire life. He also mended my heart through my friends and family, who have always been there for me during tough times, and I’m very grateful for them.
Natalie Brooks is a high school senior who loves writing fiction, playing piano, and spending time with her family.