Like many culturally Christian Americans, I grew up in a Christian home, attending church whenever the doors were open. I am the youngest of three daughters. My second oldest sister, Kara, was severely disabled with Cerebral Palsy. From the moment I was born, I never knew a world apart from doctors’ offices and uncomfortable glances. There was always an over-arching sadness that followed me, a sense of grieving for the normal life I could not have.

This grief came to a head in my teenage years. A season of deep depression, suicidal thoughts, and maladaptive daydreaming left me questioning God’s love for me. Did my life even have value in living? But, through it all, God never abandoned me. “All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God” (1 John 4:15-16 NLT). He brought me several strong Christian friends and service opportunities to show me that He loves me more than I could ever know. Because I am made in the image of God, my life matters!

As I continued to mature in stature and faith, I left life as I knew it to attend Cedarville University in central Ohio. Many people criticized me for choosing a small Christian university 325 miles from my friends, but I felt like God was calling me to attended there. That choice was more fruitful than I could have ever imagined: life in the midwest introduced me to more Christians my age, struggling with many of the same things I was. College took me abroad to Spain and later Japan, deepening my understanding of God’s omnipresence and love for all people. I cultivated more hobbies and relationships than I could ever have imagined!

Looking back on my life so far, I wouldn’t change anything. God has and will continue to use trials in my life to reach others. I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside individuals in darkness because I’ve been there too. The Bible calls us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 ESV).

God is by no means done with me; ask anyone that knows me and they’ll say that I’m far from perfection. As in the words of Paul, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6 ESV). Day by day, I strive to learn a little more about God, to become a little bit more like Jesus, and to share this hope of eternal life available to all through Christ.