Have you ever felt that heavy burden for the lost and hurting souls surrounding you as you walk through your school or you drive to work? Have you ever felt the urge to talk to the individual sitting next to you about Jesus? I know I have. But how often do we apply action beyond that burden or that urge? One of Pastor’s maxims that always inspires me is, “I’m living this day for that day.”

Whenever I hear that, I’m reminded of my responsibility as a Christian to act on that burden or that urge. It’s important that we don’t keep this amazing message to ourselves, but that we spend this day sharing it with others to help guide them for that day.

I was raised in church and attended public schools, but I didn’t become serious about my personal relationship with God and sharing it with others until my early high school years. I couldn’t imagine life if I had never done so because my walk with God is what carried me through my storms. To anyone looking from the outside, my life seemed to be all put-together, but it wasn’t.

From the beginning of my parents’ marriage, my dad was verbally abusive towards our family, and within the first couple of years, our family began to fall apart. My mom eventually returned to her old habits and began using drugs. Though my parents remained un-divorced, everything was quite dysfunctional. Years passed by and my mom would be in and out of rehabs and county jails until it came to the point of prison.

After spending about two years in prison, my mom returned home, and I thought surely this time would be was different. But that fall of 2016 when my family lost our home, my mom and dad both became heavily addicted to drugs. Their lives were controlled by the drugs, lies, and stealing as they became jobless and empty. They began to let drug dealers live and sell from our new house on the worst part of town. My two siblings and I were maintaining school, jobs, and church while coming home to new faces on a daily basis as we lived life surrounded by sin. At age sixteen, I had to find a place for my siblings and me to live as both my parents had been missing for days. Even today, one year later, we are under legal custody of an incredibly selfless family from our church while both my mom and my dad continue a similar lifestyle.

I believe God is a healer and I have faith that full restoration is in store for my parents, but I also have faith in the youth and young adults living in this day and age experiencing the same things I have. Life isn’t easy. Everyone goes through life’s trials. But no matter what you have gone through, God can and will use you to reach others. And that burden or that urge that I mentioned at the beginning—those people surrounding you—have struggled through the same life trials as you. Those people are longing for you to share with them the hope and peace you have with God.

So don’t be ashamed! God wants to use people like you and me to witness to anyone around us. Luke 12:43 reads, “Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” God gave us a promise that He will return again one day, and it’s our job to spend this day preparing for that day. Middle school, high school, and college are some of the best opportunities to reach the lost souls around you. On a day-to-day basis you are surrounded by people you share much in common with and from my experience, the only thing I’ve regretted about reaching out is when I didn’t. It’s not God’s will that we would keep the gospel all to ourselves but rather that we would share it with everyone. We must have ourselves ready and be leading others to be ready for His return.

Can you imagine not telling your friends/peers about Jesus? Heaven? Or what salvation is? Think about passing them on judgment day and them crying out, “Why didn’t you tell me about this? Why did you keep what you knew about Jesus and the Bible to yourself?” I know that’s a heavy thought, but it’s a real one. As Luke 12:40 reads, “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” Jesus is coming back, and it’s incredibly important that we share this good news with anyone and everyone around us.

We are waiting on God, but we must work as we wait. I’m a senior in high school and I graduate at the end of May. It seems that time has just flown by. If I could go back to change one thing about my personal high school career, it would be to spend more time witnessing to my peers. I want to spend this day serving Him so on that day, I will hear God say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

My name is Hannah Dowalter, I’m seventeen years old, and I am from Mount Vernon, Ohio. I attend the Apostolic Christian Church, pastored by Pastor L.J. Harry and Bishop Duane Kramer. After I graduate from Mount Vernon High School, I plan on attending The Ohio State University to study psychology.