I Believe in a Strong Faith

The lights are on, the candles are lit, and the organ sounds. For me, it’s a typical Sunday morning: the day begins at 8 AM mass, a joyous start to the sabbath. Faith has always been a key element of my life, even as a young child. From an early age, I can recall my enjoyment of Sunday School classes; I can practically feel myself carrying the chalice to the altar table. Entering the most anticipated year of my life, however, this faith would be put to the test. Jump to January of my senior year: the stress of grades, captaining a swim team, and selecting a college were at the forefront of my concerns. This is when I started to experience a rift with some of my closest friends. In essence, I had entered the bleak midwinter. And by the beginning of March, I had a B in English (which was very atypical of me), I felt lonely, and I gave up swimming during my peak form due to high volumes of work. At this point, I was at an all-time low, and despite my deepest prayers, I was losing hope that I would come out on top. Yet through the darkness came a light: by the start of April, I committed to Penn State, pulled my grades back on track, and even found myself a prom date. My Mom always said that God answers prayers in an unexpected but beneficial way. Surely enough, she was right; my faith did not fail me. In a similar way, faith guided me away from starting a serious relationship with my date, as I found that she was not the right fit for me. From an external lens, my encounters may seem confusing. If God is a loving God, why would he put me through this? I too pondered the Lord’s reasoning, as it seemed counterintuitive. Through this time of hardship, however, my understanding of faith deepened. I learned that my perspective was guided by the common misconception that a life of faith is easy. Much to my surprise, this was not the case, and surely enough, a life of fear, pain, and suffering is indicated in the scripture. Yet through all of life’s difficulties and struggles, God ensures that his faithful followers come out on top, building their trust. This principle is demonstrated beautifully in Isaiah 43:2, which expresses, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you” (American Standard Bible). As a regular churchgoer, I heard this phrase countless times, but its true meaning never hit me until recently. And when it did, the stars lined up. I realized that life comes with its crosses, but the carriers of good faith are given resilience to complete the journey successfully. This divine resilience, known as grace, then remains intact for future obstacles. For instance, as I began the first semester of college, I found myself enduring the struggles of a typical college student. Between the social and academic pressures, I felt stressed at times. Unlike a few months before, however, I held the grace to overcome these challenges with relative ease. Because of my growth as an individual, I believe in a strong faith. I believe Matthew 6:33, which explains that if you seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, great things indeed will be given to you. You just may not know what those great things are or how they will come.

Passion Blog Topic: Italian Culture*

Civic Issues Topic: Changes in the Transportation Industry*

*Refer to the previous post for more info.