2007 Raymond L. Davis Scholarship Award
~ Best Essay Winner, Ms. Krystina R. Dillard~
Given the state of America today:
"School Violence, Drugs, War, Catastrophic and Devastating Hurricanes and Floods, Bombings and Terrorism" How Has Your Relationship with God and the African Methodist Church Sustained You?
Sustained Through Christ
How can one make it through in this day and age? How can one overcome these recent times of extreme natural disasters, worldwide terrorism, drugs, wars, and school violence, just to name a few? When the state of America is seemingly getting worse by the day, how can one find the strength to carry on? Fortunately, I've found the key to success through all those terrible situations, through the world will beg to differ with my resolution. You see, there is only one way to be content through all of life's circumstances, and that is through Jesus Christ.
Establishing and maintaining a relationship with God is absolutely the only way to be sustained during troubling times. Knowing God's word and being able to apply scripture to my situation enables me to remain focused on my purpose, successful in my various endeavors, and content with life itself, even through turbulent times. A specific scripture that always helps me is Psalm 37:5 which says, "Commit your ways to the Lord, trust also in him, and He shall bring it to pass." In other words, the key to my success lies in my obedience to and faith in God's word.
I must admit, however, that though I've grown in the Lord, I am still maturing spiritually every day and still have much to learn. I find myself constantly discovering the different ways that God can work in and through me in all types of situations. Getting to this spiritual point in my life hasn't been easy; in fact, I can honestly say it's been hard. However, having a loving, encouraging spiritual family that provides support, comfort, and guidance, has sometimes been the one thing that has helped me keep my faith in God.
My family has given me a solid emotional and spiritual foundation and framework. The African Methodist Episcopal Church gives me my spiritual backbone. I have "grown up" in the AME Church both chronologically and spiritually. When I find myself doubting the Lord, needing a spiritual mother or father, or just desperately want a hug, someone from my church is always available. Not only is the AME Church there for me whenever I need them, but they also continuously give me a sense of pride in what it exactly means to be AME. As a child, the rich stories about the history and origin of the AME Church captivated my thoughts and gave me a sense of such pride. Today, that same sense of pride which was instilled in me at a very young age, gives me confidence, strength, and courage to be like my AME forefathers and to press on through any situation.
So the question is how can one make it through life in this day and age? The answer is with faith in God and the unconditional love and support from the AME Church. Knowing that God, my family, and my church are with me, who can be against me? One who has a personal relationship with God will know that if he can feed five-thousand people with two fish and five loaves of bread (John 6:1-14), he is very well capable of handling any present day situation, from natural disasters to school violence. In fact, it is foolish to ever doubt God's ability to sustain you in any situation. Being sustained today is quite capable with the Lord on your side, like Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding". Don't ever doubt your God, don't ever doubt your church, don't ever doubt yourself, and even given the state of America today, you will not only be sustained, but will also become a thriving, growing, contributing, cheerful and integral part of the body of God.