Anchored in God, Moving Forward in Faith
My name is Norah Hemsley, and I, along with my family, have been attending Christ Church for almost 7 years now. Many of you may know that I am one of the graduating seniors this year, and as I have been reflecting on the past four years and also thinking ahead to my future, I would like to share two verses that have been on my mind as I prepare for this next chapter
When my family moved to Grand Rapids from across the ocean in Italy, I only knew a handful of people in the area, mainly consisting of close family and maybe an old friend or two. Because I had very few connections and I had no idea what American school would be like, continuing my academic journey in a brand-new system felt like an impossible task. As my family started attending Christ Church, I began to find my sense of community in youth activities, and I can safely say it is what I will miss the most when I leave. The amazing group of people I was able to connect with and learn about God alongside has uncovered things I didn’t even know I needed to learn. For example, the Peru mission trip last year opened my eyes to different forms of faith and being an active agent of Christ. Being immersed in a different lifestyle than my own, but sharing the same connection in God was very powerful to me. The verse from Matthew 5:16 that says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven,” became more and more concrete to me, and my life has changed. I no longer try to hide my faith at school, and I find myself actively showing His love through my actions, now that I’ve realized my purpose. Maybe this story can help you share your own faith with people in your lives who don’t see the same light that Jesus talks about in Matthew.
Psalm 46 starts by saying, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” As I now look to the future, to college and beyond, when I feel a sense of dread and fear of the unknown, I think about this verse. I love the promise of God being a source of strength and a place of peace in my time of weakness. God’s strength makes up for any weakness I may have, so I gain a sense of calmness with the knowledge that He will always be there.
College for me will be a completely new experience than anything I’ve ever done before, and I believe anyone could relate to diving headfirst into a new situation, whether that be moving far from home or a new job. No matter the hardship, God is familiar and provides comfort and reassurance. This will be something I will remember and pray about as I journey into my next stage of life.