A Journey of Faith, Healing, and Purpose
I used to believe that faith was about following rules perfectly. It took a season of breaking down to realize that true faith is about falling into the arms of the One who holds it all together.
This is the story of how I traded my striving for His grace, and how I'm learning to walk in the freedom of being fully known and fully loved.
Growing up, Sunday mornings were a rhythm I knew by heart. The polished shoes, the hymns, the potlucks. I loved the comfort of it all. But somewhere along the way, I confused the ritual of religion with a relationship with Jesus. I thought if I did enough, served enough, and smiled enough, I would earn my place.
In my early twenties, the facade began to crack. Life didn't follow the script I had written. Anxiety became a constant companion, whispering lies about my worth. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of expectations, most of them my own. I remember one specific Tuesday night, sitting on my kitchen floor, Bible open but heart closed, feeling utterly exhausted.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
It wasn't a thunderous voice from the clouds, but a gentle nudge in my spirit. Rest. I didn't know how to rest. But that night, I stopped talking and started listening. I stopped striving and started surrendering.
The journey since then hasn't been a straight line. There have been valleys of shadow and mountaintops of joy. But the difference now is the Companion walking beside me. I've learned that God isn't looking for my performance; He's looking for my heart. He meets me in the messy middle, in the unfinished prayers, and the quiet doubts.
Alicia Christine