A Weekly Reflection, Sunday, May 21, 2017
By: Anne Claiborne Rhodes, an 8th grader who was confirmed at the 11 a.m. service on Sunday, May 21.
God is one of the hardest concepts I have ever tried to understand. To know that something greater, beyond comprehension, is responsible for everything you know. If you had asked me nine months ago who God was or if I believed he was real, I would have probably just stood there, unable to begin to comprehend God or his capabilities. I was always scared to confront the fact that I did not understand God. I was scared I would get judged or people simply wouldn’t understand. As soon as I started confirmation class, I knew I was on the right path to find my answer.
At first, the thought of waking up at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning every week did not please me. As soon as the first class started and the doughnuts rolled in, I was proved wrong. I began to look forward to confirmation class every week. Some weeks it was the best thing that happened during the week. Matt Rawls and I bonded quickly and he taught me new concepts that I never knew were possible to learn. Not only did he teach me about God, but also about myself. It is the best gift I have ever received.
Some of the best and worst times of my life occurred during middle school. One of the most challenging things was that I lost myself. I acted differently than the person I wanted to be, and it took me awhile to find myself again. Losing myself was not ideal. Nevertheless, I think that it was meant to happen because now I am the best version of myself. Connecting with God and being more a part of the church helped me find my beliefs and trust in others. Although I have never been overtly religious, I have always considered myself to be deeply spiritual. Confirmation class showed me the bridge between religion and spirituality.
God to me is the wind that brushes against your hair on a beautiful sunny day. God to me is the snowflake that falls perfectly on the tip of your tongue. God to me is having a true and heartfelt laugh with your family and friends. God to me is someone who wants to make the world a beautiful place. The world is sometimes a mess, and sometimes a tragically beautiful thing, but no matter what, God is there to help you through anything. God is the best friend you can have.