Forever Friend
10 000km. 24 hours. A new chapter of my life was ready to begin.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a Christian family and went to church every Sunday. At the age of 12 I began questioning who I really was. Why was I even on this earth? Was I really worth something? I knew God loved me, as it does say that in the Bible. But I never felt his love. I began wearing a mask. On the outside I still seemed to be the happy Sharon, but on the inside I was dying. I felt so empty and alone.
My church offered a 3 day True Image Course for girls. Being the Christian-that-attends-all-church-functions, I went, but not with much expectancy. As the leaders were praying for me on the 3rd day, I was overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit in a way that I had never been before. God used that moment to change my heart.
At this True Image Course I finally learnt what it meant to be really loved. I discovered that I was treasured, irrespective of what anyone said. I knew that I had a best friend who was not going to leave me hanging when things turned hard. I realised that just knowing about God is one thing, having a relationship with him, is something completely different.
6 Years later. As the aeroplane touched down in Zürich, Switzerland I was filled with apprehension. I had just left my home country South Africa and arrived at a place where I only knew family. But during these first few pages of this new chapter of my life I could experience God in radical ways. Again and again he would reaffirm the promises he has made in the Bible such as when life gets hard, he is still there for me.
Without a doubt I know this is true for you. God loves and cares for you so much, even with your past. He finds you valuable and wants to have a personal relationship with you. Wherever you go, he will be there with you.