Photo by: Jasmine Tovar
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) I always knew there was a God or just knew that people believed in this almighty person, but never did I have a place where I felt like I understood what He did or what He does. As a child I was baptized Catholic. Not that it meant anything to me at the time. My family was very invested in the church when I was younger, but as I got older it seemed that my grandma didn’t like being a Catholic anymore – which meant the whole family was not practicing Catholicism. So, my grandma decided that she would test out different religions. It wasn’t until a year after my grandfather’s death that she had realized what religion she felt that she had best fit in. My grandma was now a Jehovah’s Witness. When other people hear Jehovah’s Witness they run, but because she was family I had to respect her beliefs. It wasn’t very easy with my grandma, she was very persistent in getting us to study the Bible with her. Because I had no set religion, I started to practice. It wasn’t my preference, but I was young and had no one to show me any other way. So, I stuck with it until high school. Throughout this time my younger sister was going to a Baptist church with friends, and she really loved it. Later I realized that I was not happy with the things that the church was saying, or what they really believed. So, near the end of my high school career I told my grandma that I did not like the things they practiced, and that I was going to stop going to church with her. She was not happy about it. After getting so close to her, there was suddenly a great distance between us. She slowly stopped showing up to my house and wouldn’t talk to us unless she needed something. It took a while for me to realize that she only gave me attention, because I was willing to learn about her religion. During these times I felt the farthest from God, and my faith started disappearing.
As the end of my senior year grew closer, my mom’s friend invited us to go to an Easter service at his church. I was very skeptical, because I didn’t know anything else other than being a Catholic, not that I really practiced it, or Jehovah’s Witness. When we arrived at the church everyone was so welcoming. I felt as if I had found a church to call my home. I enjoyed the service, and it was easy to understand the message they were trying to get across. I soon became a member of the church, and I started going to bible study to learn more about the word of God. The moment that I felt like I had someone one that understood what I had went through was when Pastor Lee Strobel came to our church to do a Q&A about his book Case for Christ. Hearing his story gave me the strength to finally say “I am a Christian.” I then was baptized in June 2017 with the people that started this journey with me.
As I moved on to college I was afraid that I would drift away from my faith, as many do, but I have found friends that share my same beliefs. It took a lot of strength to get to where I am now in my faith, and I am still growing. I definitely see what people mean by when God puts you through certain events in your life to help your love and faith grow stronger for Him. Without the tough times when I really questioned my faith and the struggles I went through, not only with my grandma but with my family in general, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. So, never give up on Him. There is always a reason for what we go through in life.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake” (Deuteronomy 31:1)
Photo by: Mother – Karla Dominguez
Photo by: Sister – Gabriela Romero