“…And with God all things are possible,” he said bringing his fiery message to a close. For the first time in my eight years of life, I was able to draw my focus beyond the performance to the actual words. I was moved to tears. At a core level, I recognized them as truth. I felt inspired, invincible, ignited by the idea that I, too, fell under the jurisdiction of this wonderful, infinite, miraculous God that he spoke of. That moment sparked in me an unprecedented zeal and appetite for life. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. The more I read, the more I understood my charge to demonstrate love, compassion and service. I was fearless. I believed, in the most literal sense, that all things were truly possible.
I would later learn that there were caveats to this belief.
The promises that he spoke of were true, but only within certain context and only for those who followed the rules. And there were tons of rules. Rules that changed from one person to the next. Rules that flexed and bent without notice. Rules piled so high on top of rules that contradicted themselves and rendered null the ones that preceded them. They were impossible to keep up with, let alone follow. They were designed in such a way that the pride induced by their mastery was, in itself, against the rules. These rules chipped away at the unyielding certainty I had once possessed and ultimately stifled the very faith they claimed to uphold.
The question of faith, in my opinion, is one of the most personal and profound that anyone will ever address.
Today, mine is far less complicated than it once was. In fact, my faith isn’t complicated at all. It’s not about anyone’s judgements, opinions or rules. My ultimate charge is to demonstrate love, compassion and service, and in the spirit of my 8-year-old self, an unyielding belief that all things truly are possible.
The transition into adulthood isn’t an easy one. Navigating relationships, managing workplace politics, hitting those milestones on schedule— don’t be fooled, no one knows what they’re doing. There will be all kinds of fumbles, blunders and awkward missteps along the way. If you’re constantly wondering to yourself, “Am I doing this right?” Welcome. This is just the place for you.
