Faith

by Rayne Elise

Greetings Everyone,

I hope you are all well. For this entry, I want to speak from my heart. There are so many people who are struggling right now for one reason or another. Just know I am convinced everyone will have better days. Don’t stop striving or believing. Keep the faith. I am a very spiritual person. I identify as a Christian. I was baptized in a Seventh Day Adventist Church in 2017. I am not overly religious, nor have I ever been. In fact, I would like to expand on my faith. I am not here to push religion in one way or another. I just want to express my beliefs and why I feel the way I do.

Faith has gotten me through some of the toughest times in my life. I had a rough childhood. I experienced numerous challenges throughout my academic career. There were many other instances in my life where I faced adversity. I did not know how I would make it at times. I have had clinical, chronic depression since childhood. I have experienced severe bullying in various forms. There were always family problems. As a result, I started feeling suicidal at the age of 9. I attempted suicide twice after 18. I am still here for a reason. I am trying hard to understand my purpose in this life and why I have experienced so much adversity. My favorite quote comes from a children’s movie. The quote, from the movie “Mulan” is, “the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful flower of all.”

At the present time, I am still in situations where my faith is carrying me through. I work at two stressful jobs – my full time job is a governmental agency and my part time job is a major national (possibly international) retailer. I experience a lot of obstacles at both jobs. My belief in my faith sustains me that there will be better days. Tough times do not last forever. I am convinced of that. I have lived that. We don’t stay down forever. Trust me.

To all of my people out there who are tired and unsure of how they will make it, keep pushing. You will persevere. Based on my Christian faith, I know that God says all you need is faith the size of a mustard seed. That gives me solace and strength. Keep your head up. Stay focused on the larger picture. Look into whatever you believe in (if you believe in a higher being) and keep your faith. I am rooting for you. Stay positive, optimistic and blessed.