The God Narratives project is a space to document all the ways Christians have experienced God, His church, His son and the ways they’ve navigated His purpose for us on earth. It will contain a diverse range of voices that will mesh together to create one grand narrative. It’s about confronting life’s crucial questions, examining our inner being [human spirit], and starting the conversation. We’re opening up the project with this amazing account of a relationship with Jesus: read as Colette recounts a turning point in her walk with God, and all the things she realised. _____________________________________________________________________

The End

My relationship with God has been quite the roller coaster ride.

Sometimes, I am flying on the wings of Grace, fuelled by the emotional high that comes from a Christian retreat or a great sermon at church. Other times, I am buried in doubts about the validity of the Christian faith, the “goodness” of God and the necessity of following Christ. Last year, I reached an all-time low in my faith: I knew God existed but I could not care less that he did. I asked myself and some of my friends: “What’s the point of following Christ, anyway?” Some of the replies I got included: –       “Experiencing God’s love and peace” –       “Blessings from the most high” –        “God’s beautiful plan for your life” –       “High moral standards and being a ‘good’ person” Unfortunately, these words that once made so much sense no longer meant anything. As far as I was concerned, faith was too restrictive and sin was relative. God was unnecessary and non-believers were doing just fine. Fast-forward to October, in my hospital bed, three surgeries and an almost fatal illness later; I had a dream, or a vision, or I was just high on medication. “The King came back from a long journey.  Everyone around me was excited and cheering. They had been waiting on the Lord for so long and finally, He was there!  Everyone was cleaning, cooking, chanting; getting ready for the greatest of feast. I did not rejoice with them. I could not. To me, the return of the King was not a source of celebration but of terror. I was ashamed and afraid” Imagine that! The creator, your Father, comes home after a long absence, and instead of running and throwing yourself in his arms, you hide because of your guilt and shame. That is honestly a terrifying experience. It was also the answer to many of my questions. So…what is the point of following Christ? Christ is the point! Don’t praise God because of the earthly blessings he provides (job, husband/wife, grades, money, etc). Those fade away faster than you think. Praise Him because of the ultimate gift: the open invitation to feast at the table of the King, to worship the Alpha and the Omega, and to be a child of the Most High.

Jesus is not a means to an end. He is THE end.

I pray that this realization changes my life and yours. A verse that inspired me as I was writing this: Luke 19:38-40  “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”  But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”