My Summer of 2010
Like all holidays, summer can be a time to grow as a person or to brain dump everything you learned during the school year. Summer is a time of freedom. One might desire to sleep as late as humanly possible or lie out in the sun and absorb the heat as I have done in summers past. This year, I challenged myself by growing my own talents and interests. In doing so, I began to acknowledge and embrace my individuality. Everything I learned over the summer has played a significant role in beating down my insecurities. From web design to my attendance at Victory Christian Fellowship, I have become a stronger person than I was last year.
As a freshman, my attitude was that I have to do everything in my power to fit in, to be whatever people wanted me to be rather than stay true to myself. I was a conformist. Around the beginning of June, I rediscovered web design, a hobby I had given up several years ago. I decided to try designing again and began to create my own web site. I soon discovered that I was actually good at it, but I was embarrassed about all the time I had spent on the computer, working with code and writing blogs.
Summer continued and I expanded my knowledge of computers. I had also taken several trips to the library. Reading was another hobby I had given up for I was blinded by my longing to be accepted. I hadn’t read a book in months, hence my excitement when I read Adam by Ted Dekker. There was a peace I felt when flipping through the pages of a book; something about the smell of paper and the words that leapt off the page was very welcoming. After that, I couldn’t stop reading.
Some time later, my parents decided to visit Victory Christian Fellowship. At first I was bitter and hesitant; slowly, God began to soften my heart. I fell in love with the church and so did my family. The people have encouraged us so much. I feel joyful and spiritually healthy. I see evidence of God everywhere I turn. The people are filled with the love of God and compassion for others which is something I haven’t seen in a long time.
Needless to say, my relationship with God isn’t perfect. I have failed as a Christian in many ways, yet I can still see evidence of God’s hand in my life. The fact that I am not ashamed of who I am is a miracle in and of itself. Summer of 2010 has opened my eyes to many things, be it good or bad. My prayer for sophomore year is that I will seek God more than I have in the past, become an even stronger person and stay forever true to who I am. My summer could not have been any better.