I often worried about what other people thought of me and carried a lot of insecurity. While I wasn’t raised in a Christian household, God began working in my life at a young age.

When I was in eighth grade, I attended a summer camp where a conversation with one of my mentors changed everything. I had always known about God and found joy in Him, but that week helped me understand what a real relationship with Him looked like. It opened my eyes to His power and marked the beginning of a new chapter in my faith.As I moved through high school, I faced several difficult losses during my first two years. Those experiences took a toll on my mental health and left me feeling alone, unheard, and stuck in a place I couldn’t seem to escape. But as He has done countless times throughout my life, God found me again.

At summer camp during my junior year, a speaker shared a message that reminded me God was with me through every sorrow. It helped me realize I wasn’t alone in my struggles and that God accepted me even when I felt unworthy of His love.One passage that became especially meaningful to me was James 1:2–4, which teaches that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. Through that verse, I learned to see my hardships differently. God has used every challenge, loss, and struggle to teach me something and shape me into the person I am today.