NAOMI // 2nd YEAR - FRENCH

Growing up with 3 siblings in the north-east, I received a perfect balance of love and (not so) gentle bullying. My Christian parents taught me early on about their belief in God, Heaven and Hell. I was recently reminiscing with my dad about the hymns he used to sing to my sister and me when he put us to sleep. So I think I've always felt aware of God's existence and my own sin. I believed that the wrong things I did separated me from God, but I was torn between the consequences of that, and wanting to live life my own way.

Eventually, I realised that running from God was pointless and that asking Jesus to forgive me could put an end to my inner battle of simultaneous selfishness and guilt. I won't lie, it took me several years to feel 100% certain that trusting in Jesus' death on the cross for me was really all I had to do. There was no lightbulb moment, no sudden flash of light or instant relief.

But over the years since then, I've experienced the peace that comes from being right with God and having Him walk with me through life. Getting good grades, making amazing friends, moving away from home, struggling with disordered eating, self-hatred and massive questions about my identity... In every circumstance, He's given me purpose and hope. All I had to do was ask.