*This week, Carolina High School in Greenville, South Carolina, is honoring CYLT with its travel stories. Featured today... Shanautika Simmons!
Image courtesy of Shanautika Simmons
Last year, I started attending the The Salvation Army, The Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center (Kroc Center) and it’s been the best decision I ever made.
I was raised in a devout Christian home, went to a private Christian school, and had amazing parental examples. By the time I got to second grade I’d grown bored with everything that had to do with God and church.
One day, when I was about in 6th grade I consciously and purposefully shut the door on God. As far as I was concerned, that was it. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I still acknowledged God’s existence. My whole thing was, “There’s too much beauty in the world for there not to be a God.” But it didn’t go beyond that. I made sure it didn’t.
Image from Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center of Greenville, SC's Facebook page
On September 11, 2014, my mother decided to take me to teen night at the Kroc Center, where I was introduced to the Salvation Army Church.
As I started attending the church I became more involved with the youth programs , and soon after I became interested in God again, but still didn't have a relationship with him.
Image from Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center of Greenville, SC's Facebook page
On 8/1/15 I took a trip to Denton, North Carolina to attend Camp Walter Johnson Territorial Youth Institute (TYI) aka summer youth camp.
Image from TSAMWVyouth's Facebook page
Here, campers come together to worship and intense bible studies with my church family.
I've never felt so close to God my entire life, and am very thankful for the experience.
Leave a comment
0 Comments