A time to let go

I always knew there was something better than what I had going for me. I just didn’t really understand how to step towards that better side of life.

For me, the number of times I went around that mountain without actually taking a step upwards in the right direction is more than I can count! I remember as a child growing up in a Christian family reading The Cross and the Switchblade, and that little voice inside of my head was telling me, wouldn’t it be great to live that life? How exciting could life be when you’re the one who is in control, and no one can tell you any different?

The irony in that is that it took me living out on my own, fending for myself at the age of 15, ending up going through jail and moving interstate to try and get my life back on track. But it turns out, I just kept living the same old lifestyle before I had a divine intervention. God was knocking at the door, and I was at my wits’ end. I didn’t have any strength left in my mind and soul to try and fight it.

‘After relying on myself for the past 13 years, it was time to let go of the reigns and hand them over to God.’

So, I turned to what I knew of growing up, and that was God. I ended up moving back to Adelaide after months of counselling with my father and numerous church sessions on Zoom to undergo the 12-month program with Teen Challenge South Australia.

I needed to learn to live my life in Christ and rely on his strength rather than my own. After relying on myself for the past 13 years, it was time to let go of the reigns and hand them over to God.

I assure you that I didn’t let go without keeping one hand on the reigns. Some days I feel like I still do, and when that happens, God kindly puts me in my place again.

It isn’t an overnight switch-up where everything is all good. No. It is a lifelong journey, and I am thankful for the team of mentors and people who have dedicated their time to Teen Challenge SA to give me and others a chance and opportunity to become something more.

I understand that the real challenge starts after. This time, my life in Christ is far greater than it has ever been, and this time, Christ lives in me.