I was raised in a Christian household and attended church with my family, beginning with Sunday school until I was old enough to participate in the service with my siblings. I was introduced to Christ as a young child. I remember watching my mother pray and then she would pray with me. She taught me about Jesus and shared the daily devotionals that she would read.
I believe the most impactful moment in my spiritual journey occurred in early 2000 when I lost my mother to an aggressive, late stage cancer when she was 52. The time from diagnosis to the day she passed was only about eight weeks. I prayed for her health constantly and begged God to rid her body of cancer. Ultimately, I put the outcome in God’s hands and trusted that no matter what happened, I would be able to accept her fate.
While I learned to believe in God’s power at a young age, that was something I hoped I could do but did not realize I had the strength to do until it happened. Even though I lost my mother, I never doubted my beliefs and became stronger in my faith.
Family, friends, and my peers have all helped me along the way in my spiritual journey. My mother was essential to introducing me to Christ and many other members of my family have helped enforce my beliefs. My wife has been an inspiration since we met and have grown our family. We continually remind each other to put things in God’s hands – the good and the bad – and trust the way forward that he lays out for us.
I was christened as a baby but I have not made my public declaration of my faith and I believe its important that I do this. Watching baptisms the past few years at Grace has also inspired me.
— Brian Keys, Baptized April 2019
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