Maria Briggs

I was raised in the Catholic faith, and at a very young age,  I trusted Jesus as my Savior. Around kindergarten, I distinctly recall coming home from Sunday School very proudly telling my mom that I read big words out loud and I only was able to because God helped me. In fifth grade, a teacher was telling us what we could “do” to get into heaven, and I knew the Truth was that there was nothing I could do, because it’s through Jesus I was saved, by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6). My relationship with Jesus really grew in middle school when I started attending a non-denominational church. At that time, I felt the conviction of having Christ as a part of my life but not keeping Him at the center of my whole life. Learning this, I turned away from what the world taught was good and sought God’s will for my decisions. I began to experience joy through all circumstances, something that can only be attributed to Christ. At times, I've lost focus on my relationship with Jesus, leaving me unhappy and unfulfilled. Without Jesus, I feel broken, but in Him I am made new. I have seen firsthand that I am the best, most joyous version of myself when I abide in Christ. The verse that I cling to is Romans 8:28 — “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”