Hi, I’m Madi! I grew up going to Grace. I always went to church with my family but never understood what it was really about. I would always get distracted during church, talk to friends, or find something to keep me busy during church. It was something I did not take seriously. I struggled with understanding what Christianity really was. I knew who Jesus was and what he did but never understood the full meaning of it.
Then, everything changed when I went to the Warehouse for the first time. In 6th grade I was nervous and shy. Then, I went on my first retreat. That was life changing! That is where I really discovered what Christianity and Jesus was all about. Hearing the worship and being there with everyone where there was no judgment from anyone was just the best feeling! I decided then and there that I really wanted to start a new chapter in my life where I’d learn more about Christ.
Going into 7th grade I fell hard. I felt abandoned. I lost all my friends in the beginning of the year. The only person I had left was Jesus, but I didn’t realize that then. I started to turn towards people at my school who did not set a good example for me. This sort of led me towards depression and anxiety. When I was at school or church I would put on a fake smile just to show I was okay because I was afraid if I told someone they would worry about me too much and not about themselves. I felt like all hope was lost. I would come home upset every day.
Then, on the 2017 student retreat, my life was turned around once more. It was this retreat where I met Mrs. Yolanda and she helped so much. She gave the best advice and helped me through a lot. It was then when I could tell God was telling me to turn towards him in my darkest moments. I realized I was not alone the whole time! God was testing my faith. It was like God was saying, “Wake up! I have something good in store for you!”
And just remembering that today makes me want to publicly proclaim my love for him! I may not have realized it in 7th grade, but God knows all things. He was not giving me a hard time because he didn’t love me, he gave me a hard time to test my faith in him that he would make everything better soon.
Now I have started going to D-team (small groups) where I met Sydney and have made a lot of new friends through Christ. Now God has blessed me with this amazing opportunity to get baptized on Easter weekend! I may not have everything figured out right now, and I know things might get harder, but I have faith that Jesus, the Lord of all living things, will bless me with good things. And so, knowing that, I am ready to be baptized and publicly proclaim my love for him!
— Madi Jones, Baptized April 2019
If you’re interested in being baptized at Grace, click here to learn more and to sign up to attend our next Baptism Workshop.