Don’t Lose Sight Of God – February 2K14 Youthful Expression

By Colleen Hopkins, age 13

Psalm 23

That was the very first scripture I ever learned – Psalm 23. I never knew what it meant, or how to apply it to my life. I didn’t grow up a “church kid,” I didn’t wear white on first Sundays, I didn’t understand the meaning of fasting, and I really didn’t know what “true holiness” was. At the time, I thought everyone had broken my trust and I didn’t have much to look forward too. My mom let me down, I didn’t know my biological father, and I strongly disliked my step dad. I simply just had no one. My grandmother would always say “life gets better, once you meet your best friend.” But I was nine years old and I had no clue what she meant. My best friend at the time were full-size candy bars. As times got worse, she said it more and more often.

There was one point in my life when I wanted to end it all; the situation was above my comfort zone and I couldn’t handle it. I was in tears. “Speak up” she said. “You’re worth more than this.”  And at that moment I felt something unexplainable. She was right. I spoke up. That day my life changed dramatically. On October 19, 2011 I was placed into foster care. My first foster home, I was alone, but not for long. When I was in that home I attended Mount Calvary Baptist Church. On May 31^st 2012, I met Jesus. I didn’t know Him but He knew me. The minister made the call, and all I could feel was this pulling towards the altar. I was coming closer and closer to Him and all I could feel was emptiness, good emptiness. As I neared, I remembered what my grandmother said, “life gets better once you meet your best friend.” That moment it clicked: Jesus. My best friend is Jesus. That day I opened my heart and received Him. I was saved. Less than a month later I publicly confessed my belief in Jesus Christ by being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost on June 27, 2012.

Even though I thought I wasn’t going to make it through what I was enduring, someone else did, and so did God. God kept me safe when I thought I wasn’t. I lost sight of God, even though I didn’t know much. My testimony is only a snippet of what God can do. As of now, I’m a healthy 13 year old who is in the process being adopted by an amazing woman who will continue to help lead me in my path of following Jesus.

If you don’t take anything from this testimony please remember this, don’t lose sight of God. He’s with you at your weakest point, and always there at your strongest. My struggles are still here, and will continue, but with God all things are possible.