by Alyssa Corwin

It was a clear and warm August day just over three years ago. I stood gazing up at the stars in awe of God and the past few hours I had just experienced. I was at a church retreat with a youth group I had attended the past year and this was the night that changed my life.

As my friend and I drove down the road to Mel Trotter Campground, we were excited to see our friends. Little did I know that God would use this experience to shape me into the person that I am today. Pulling into the parking lot, we were greeted by a few friends and we made our way into the chapel. Tonight was the night that members of our church gave testimonies to the rest of the church family. Since it was mostly people older than me, and their stories seemed to drag on and on, my friends and I weren’t paying attention until one man talked into the microphone.

This man spoke about his past drug and alcohol abuse and growing up with no friends and parents who didn’t care. This caught my attention more than anything. This made me realize how fortunate I am to have the family, the friends, and less temptation than most. It made me feel guilty for taking it all for granted. It made me feel like all my life I had been gliding through without a care in the world.

The youth group met shortly after that and I found out that most of them had been having the same thoughts as I was having. We prayed right there as a group in the chapel chairs, but before long we were all sitting on the floor, hugging with tearstained cheeks and sobbing prayers to the God who loves us more than anything. What started as a short prayer of thanks had turned into a three-hour prayer of forgiveness and praise. I have never experienced anything like this before. The spirit of God was in this place and every one of us could feel it.

That night after we prayed, I took a walk and found a grassy hill away from everyone. As I lay down to look at the dark, star-filled sky that shimmered above me, I recommitted myself to my Lord and Savior. That night I realized I have not been living the life that I should. Being a Christian isn’t about sitting and watching the world; it’s about going into the world and making disciples of all the nations. I needed to spread the word of God instead of keeping it all to myself. That is what I have been doing and it feels great to be living a life for God and not for myself.

E-mail: alyssa_m_corwin@cornerstone.edu