Hi, Hope! Corey Allen here. This is my journey with our Heavenly Father; let me start at the beginning:
I was born on March 4, 2002 in Thornton, Colorado. I was a twin and, as some may know, twins sometimes have difficulties. I did. I was born at 4 pounds, 4 ounces. I was a preemie and it was a miracle that I lived. I had to be on tube-feeding and oxygen for months but I got through it.
When I was 5, tragedy struck my life in a way that changed it forever. On Labor Day weekend, my family did what we always did: go to Bear Lake. Everyone had a great time! But, as the sun was getting ready to set and the air was getting chilly, we knew it was time to go. My mother sent my sister to get us out of the water. My twin and I ran away from her and my sister chose to run after me. Catching up with me, she turned to get my brother, but he was nowhere to be found. An hour later, it was discovered that he had drowned. My world was shook. After this, I felt so alone in the world and I asked why over and over.
In second grade, I still felt alone but that began to change. I met the person who introduced me to God: James Wertz. He was a great disciple. The day we got to pick locker buddies, James asked me to share with him. A few days after that, he invited me to church and, after my first time, I was hooked. I had so many questions and the answers brought light into my life. It was like a veil had been lifted and God was revealed to me. Weeks later, pastor Dean gave me my first Bible and I still have it. I remember finishing reading it by the end of that school year. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t understand everything. I didn’t know all the events or words like “apostle” and “disciple” but the Bible still helped me. That’s the wonderful thing about scripture: it helps everyone in different ways. For me, it was finding out that God has a plan for everyone. Psalm 23 spoke to me. It said that He was with me through the valley of the shadow of death. That gave me so much comfort. I know that I will never be alone.
I’ve been through things that most people my age haven’t. But, even though I have doubts, God has always been there. He has surprised me in so many ways. Know that God will never abandon you. He hasn’t abandoned me! If you live life with God, you will never be alone.
Thanks for reading my journey with God. I hope you have a great life with the Lord.
God bless you!
Corey Allen