“Dear Jesus, thank You for everything You do for me, please be with my friends and every single one of my family members for Jesus’ sake. Amen.”
This was the short and simple prayer that “Little Me” would pray night after night until, in my teens, I became acquainted with Christianity in a more substantial way. I grew up in an agnostic home with no trace of God in it besides the Bibles my younger brother and I were given by my Grandma and mom, as well as the songs that he and I would sing at our school assemblies. We didn’t live with our mom because she couldn’t look after us and she needed time to “get onto her feet”. So, she dropped us off at my dad and step mom when I was 7 and I haven’t lived with her since. I came close once, but I’ll save that for a future post. It was my big-hearted but bad-tempered dad and my disciplined and well-intentioned, but somewhat indifferent stepmom who raised us.
I was, however, blessed to have some Christian influence from the occasional weekends with my mom, visits with my family at the coast and especially my Grandma. Grandma, my mom’s mom, is quite a devout Christian but a loving lady. You know, that one who gives lots of hugs and kisses and tickles your back until you sleep to the sound of her lullabies. She was someone with whom I had quite a strong bond as she was at my mom’s side when I was born. Although I had these influences, what I was experiencing was just a now-and-then Christianity. But I was drawn to the idea of God being my constant friend – Someone to look after me, even at school.
I believe that because my mom said prayers with us when we visited on weekends, I said my own prayers at home too; “Dear Jesus, thank You for everything You do for me, please be with my friends and every single one of my family members for Jesus’ sake. Amen.”
It may have only been a now-and-then kind of faith, but it was a seed planted that has grown into the steady and real relationship I now have with God. It doesn’t matter what your background looks like. There is always the opportunity for you to start a steady and real relationship with your creator. It is the most humbling and valuable experience you can have. Jesus wants to lovingly tend to the seeds in your life and help them grow into something beautiful too.
Throughout this blog, I hope that I can show you how that journey has taken shape in my life.