“For as long as I can remember, I grew up knowing of God. My grandparents took me to church and taught me about Jesus from a young age. Despite that, I didn’t find out who God really was until my first year of college at FGCU. Up until then, I knew of God but did not really know him, although I thought that I did. Shortly before I got saved, a great friend of mine asked me three simple questions that someone had asked him. “Do you love God?” He asked me this and I thought, “Well of course I do.” Then he asked, ”Do you know God?” I did not. I did not know who he was, but I claimed to love him and say that I was a follower of him. Finally, he asked, “How could you love someone that you do not know?” I don’t think I will ever forget that. That changed everything for me, absolutely everything. Since then, I have set out to know our God, and honor, and worship him.
I lived in Fresno, California from my birth up until the end of my senior year of high school. My parents decided that they were going to move to Florida, so during my junior year of high school, they asked me if I wanted to stay in California and go to college there or go to school in Florida. I knew absolutely nobody in Florida and had hardly even visited. I had no reason to say “yes” to moving here. Now I see why.
I was truly introduced to the love and glory of God during my very first week of school at FGCU. It was amazing. I was first introduced to Ignite and Summit Church at the FGCU Water Day. Since that day, I have become very connected with the church. As I became friends with much of the Summit staff, I was able to see the love of God so clearly. Through these relationships that God has blessed me with, I have been able to better visualize our Father’s compassion and grace. It did not take me long to see how God was working in my life since the Water Day event. It was very clear to me that God wanted me to follow him. Nothing had been more clear in my life. He laid out all the steps for me.
I got saved sometime during my first few weeks of school at FGCU. I got baptized at Summit on December 12th to show the world my love for the Lord. He has displayed so much grace and glory throughout my entire life. I am finally starting to see how He has done that, and the greater reason He has done it for.