her on. Slowly, lying, cheating, stealing, sad- ness, cursing, and anger became the norm in her everyday life, and God faded away to just a distant memory. “My life centered around sin,” Lauren said. “Although I went to church on Sundays sometimes, I didn’t know the Gospel.” One night, Lauren decided to join her small group of friends to sneak alcohol and drink together. After a few drinks, a close friend suddenly forced himself on her and took advantage of Lauren. “That was the breaking point for me. Before that, I was fine with all their sin… I was fine with doing all of the crazy things they al- ways wanted to do. But once that happened, I didn’t want to hang out with those people anymore. And it broke me.” Lauren cut ties with all of her friends, but the deep pain of what took place that traumatic night still followed her around and filled her with unbearable shame. When a classmate invited her to at- tend Fellowship of Christian Athletes at her middle school, Lauren felt so hopeless that she figured… why not give God another chance? During the meetings, Lauren’s new friends talked about their upcoming plans to attend a Word of Life Camp. Intrigued, Lau-
ren signed up with them for Snowcamp. “I kind of came for the games. I kind of came because I had no other friends, nothing else to do.” Although the excitement of fun and new friends attracted Lauren to camp, God had bigger plans in mind. “When I came here, it was crazy. I remember everyone talking about God as if He was your best friend, as if He was real. And I just had never believed that.” When all the young people gath- ered together for the first night of teaching and worship, the speaker excitedly called ev- eryone to hoist their Bibles in the air. Lauren glanced around… everyone had a Bible, and they even seemed excited to read it. “I thought… what is this?” Lauren laughed. “I didn’t know that people actually read Bibles.” Lauren’s counselor pulled her aside to share her Bible, and when the counselor opened it, Lauren was shocked at how many highlights and notes were scribbled and threaded throughout the pages. “And I thought, wow, you really love this God.” Overwhelmed with the reality that this God everyone was talking about might actually be real, Lauren responded to the in-
vitation that very first night.
“I don’t think I was really saved that time. I think I was just finally like, ‘Okay, God is real. I need to start living like God is real.’” Three months later, Lauren attended another Word of Life Camp, The Island, and when she felt God moving in her heart once more, she responded a second time. “I went down again, and that time I was like, ‘Okay, JESUS is real. I need Jesus to be my Lord.’” In that moment, the Lord’s pursuit of Lauren was fulfilled as she gave her life, fears, dreams, and hurts completely to Him. Lauren returned home with a heart on fire for the Lord. Each day, she searched for ways that she could glorify God with her life. Because of her faithfulness to His call, Lauren was able to combine her love for chil- dren and talent for playing the guitar to join the children’s praise and worship team at her church. “Every talent I have, I have been able to use for God in a way that has just filled me with so much joy, more than it could have anywhere else.” Truly God’s promise for redemption is never far from any of us. In His great love, He pursues us, rescues us, and promises us eternal hope… just as He did with Lauren.
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