My spiritual journey:
>The most important thing in my life was having fun with my friends. I always wanted to joke around and go dancing and drinking. I was mainly concerned with what people thought about me and so I smoked a lot to fit in.
>When I was a child, I used to pray alone sometimes before going to bed. I always believed in God's existence but as I grew older I forgot about God and put him aside.
>I placed my confidence, security and happiness in my friends. Sometimes I was deceived because I placed expectations upon them that they were unable to fulfill.
>In April 2001, I was volunteering at a shelter for abused women where I met an elderly woman who invited me to her church. I accepted the invitation and felt very comfortable and welcomed by the people there, who were so sincere and happy.
>About three weeks later I was at home in Tours, a city in central France. One night, while I was going to bed, I opened a Bible that someone had given me and I read a story in it about how God revealed truth in a person's life and how he received this truth with joy. But because his understanding of it was superficial, when trouble came, he quickly fell away. I recognized myself in that situation. I had enjoyed going to church but had felt no desire to go back. Like the individual in the story, I was in danger of letting go of this good thing and missing out on God's plan for my life.
>As I continued going to the church I felt God's presence in my life grow stronger. I began to understand that my friendship with him was much more important than what other people thought about me.
>Sometimes I struggle with a lack of faith in trusting Jesus to protect me. Initially if I did something wrong I would feel guilty and ashamed, not wanting to talk to God, but I learned that I could trust Jesus no matter what the situation.
>God gave me a real life and even more friends than I had before. Moreover, they were friendships in which I felt comfortable, not fearing their judgment, and so I was free to be myself. My life and my attitude had totally changed. I had even completely lost the desire to smoke. The difference was that I had found my confidence, happiness and security in Jesus.
>When you are a student, you have many important choices to make. God wants to show you what is the best for you.
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