“I remember going to church and the pastor saying ‘Bow your head and raise your hand if you want to accept God.’ I ended up not raising my hand because I was scared. The next service, I raised my hand and the pastor prayed for us. At that moment, I felt free and emotional but in such a beautiful way, I felt the Holy Spirit,” Soph. Danna Castro Gomez said. Many followers of Christ, claim to have had a moment where their life was completely turned around and overwhelmed by the love of God, which encouraged them to be more devoted to God and better themselves for him.
Danna Castro Gomez
“I grew up going to a Catholic church; I was always confused about how Catholicism and Christianity were different, but I didn’t pay much attention to it.” Throughout her childhood, she stopped going to church after she relocated. However, she still attended online services. “I’ve always wanted to have a relationship with God, but I didn’t feel a connection. All I knew was that I believed in him.”
During April 2023, Gomez went through a rough stage in her life where she felt like she had lost everyone. Throughout this tough stage, she went to church and overheard the pastor say, “Bow your head and raise your hand up if you accept God.” Gomez hesitated and decided not to raise her hand. The following service, the pastor repeated his lecture and the congregation raised their hands. She joined in with them and did the same. After this impactful experience, she continued to go to church and learn more about Christianity. “I feel like God has washed away my past and old self, filling me with his fullness and transforming me into a new creation. He’s given me hope, faith and endless love. He has truly changed my life in such an amazing way.” Gomez’s message for people who don’t believe or struggle to believe is, “Pray! It sounds basic but it has so many meanings. Also, be patient! Patience is key!”
Miriam Ramirez
“Well, I grew up in the Catholic church ever since I can remember, I’ve always spent almost every Sunday in the church when we could.” Jr. Miriam Ramirez said. Her parents did not force her and her siblings to attend church regularly so often they didn’t attend. “Back then I wasn’t that good in school. I prioritized partying and my friends more than I should have.” Ramirez was almost constantly in trouble during school and she was not very close with her parents or her other immediate family members.
“To be completely honest, my life before God was miserable. I hated myself and everyone around me. I wasn’t a good friend, student nor daughter.” Her grandmother unfortunately passed due to cancer. This passing deeply affected Ramirez as they were both incredibly close. “She was one of the most religious people I knew. And I knew that the hurt I felt couldn’t be taken away unless I came to God.” Ramirez attempted to pursue a relationship with God but could not understand how to read her Bible or pray.
“That same month she passed, my mother got in a life threatening accident. She was rushed to the hospital and I thought I was going to lose my best friend.” While at the hospital, the doctor mentioned to Ramirez and her father that her mother did not have much time left to live. They both prayed for her mother, day and night praying that God would give her a second chance in life. After a few days, the doctor reported back and stated that her recovery was impossible and it was a miracle from God.
“Before this accident, I was low-key hesitant about if God was real. But after this, I knew he was.” This event led her to strengthen her relationship with God. Ramirez began praying to the Lord and reading his word more than before. He gave her peace like she had never felt before. This feeling of peace, made her achieve more motivation to be closer to him.
Ramirez believes that God puts her through hard obstacles only to make her stronger and to protect her. “God has changed my life so much I cannot even begin. Being so close to the Lord brought me so much peace and joy in my life that nothing else could have given me.” Since she has gotten closer to God, she has found herself a new group of people that positively influence her choices and her life. She has joined a sport, a club and volunteers in certain events to stay connected with her religion. Her message to someone who has difficulty believing in God is, “I would want to tell them that they are loved. God is proud of them and he loves them even if they don’t believe in him.”
Jessa DeLeon
Soph. Jessa DeLeon’s parents were not into religion, but her grandmother introduced her to God, since she was a Jehovah’s Witness. DeLeon didn’t feel a connection with her grandmother’s religion so she began attending Christian churches with her other family members and friends. To her, Christianity felt peaceful, and she felt it was something she believed in. Before her encounter with God, she was extremely depressed. “Like my life itself wasn’t bad. I’m obviously grateful for what I have but in my mind, I just felt lost.” DeLeon has a time in her life that she calls her “sad phase.” She explained that she felt like something was missing in herself. She distracted herself by spending time with her friends and doing hobbies she enjoyed but she came back to the same feeling of sorrow.
“I went to a church event and I remember a song being sung by a group about being loved unconditionally by Jesus. I still don’t even know how to explain it. I just felt right and I felt like this was what I was missing.” DeLeon began seeing changes in her life. She began to feel less anxious and more peaceful. She started to feel a sense of purpose in her life and she started to build a relationship with God by praying and going to church.
DeLeon doesn’t go to church as often as she used to since her parents forbid her from attending mass. But missing church does not stop her from continuing her relationship with God. She prays constantly and by praying, she feels seen and heard by God. “Obviously he doesn’t talk to me in a big loud voice but he speaks to me through small movements and changes within myself like he’s guiding me.”
DeLeon believes that God has had a huge impact on her life by giving her peace and direction. She doesn’t worry about things that she shouldn’t worry about because she confides in God and believes he has a plan for her. She worked up the courage to remove all of the bad influences from her life and get closer to people who would benefit her life. DeLeon’s message for non-believers is, “It’s okay to have doubts, that doesn’t make you a bad person. Everyone’s path is different and it matters most that you’re being honest with yourself. Just take your time and be kind to yourself and people. Even if you don’t find your way to God completely. But I always hope they do!”
Those who believe in God, have had their own encounters with God that have brought them closer to him.
