I didn’t.
I came to Christ in the City with a distorted vision of the reality I was living in. I had myself convinced that I was living my best life, but instead I was a shell of a person. Each day I put on an aching smile, pretending that my heart wasn’t hollow, broken, and barren. Each day I lied to myself that the societal pressures I had fallen to weren’t that bad, continuing to self-sabotage to avoid confronting the desolate state of my soul.
And then I arrived for my first day as a yearlong missionary…
Immediately surrounded by immense amounts of love and joy, I was overwhelmed. It was foreign to me and it felt like I was learning a new language, as I hadn’t experienced such feelings for the past four years. At first I couldn’t identify what it was, but I knew I wanted it for myself.
So I prayed…
Immediately I realized that the love and joy my fellow missionaries were experiencing was from living a life with Christ. A true, beautiful, authentic life with Christ that was so integrated into their entire selves. I wanted that life. But first, I had to change. I had to give up the world. I brought my sins, all of them, to Jesus and slowly began to dissociate from each one.
Pouring his abounding love, mercy, and forgiveness into me, I was transformed from the inside out. With a driving desire to seek the Lord, my once hollow, broken, barren heart began to heal. Each time I gave a little bit more of my heart to Him, I began to feel a little bit more human.
The world may satisfy us temporarily, but we can only experience our true, fullest humanity if we experience it with Christ. Having had this realization, I now can’t get enough. I want to live!
Erica is a first-year missionary from Cranston, RI. She enjoys running, coffee, and going to the beach.
Erica,
What a gift you are and what a
joy you have become. To leave
Family, friends and familiar surroundings and to open yourself up
to a new beginning surrounded by
the love of once strangers and now
friends. To serve all you meet in the
streets with the love of God is truly a
very special gift. To bring friendship,
joy and hope to others is a gift beyond compare.
Thank you for making a difference in
so many lives. May God’s love,
Peace and joy go with you as you follow the path He has for you.