Hello, my name is Emmy Ramsey, and I am 15 years old. My whole life I’ve heard about God, attended church, memorized verses, and read my Bible with my family. I know that doesn’t get you into heaven, but that is how I started to understand how God died on the cross for our sins. 

When I was eleven, I truly understood what it meant to be a follower of Christ, and I said a prayer with my mom and accepted Jesus in my heart. I’ve struggled with jealousy and anxious thoughts, but I overcame those by praying about it with my family and people from church. I was also able to see freedom from those thoughts when I relied on the Lord. As I’m sure most of you remember, middle school is not the best years of your life! 

When I was in 7th grade, I went skiing with my family, and I went down a double black and tore my ACL. That was a very hard time in my life because I couldn’t play sports and wasn’t able to do things that I used to be able to do. During that time, it gave me time to rely on the Lord and it made me realize that you don’t need sports or friends to define who you are. I was reminded my identity is in Christ alone because He has a plan for me! 

A verse that meant a lot to me during that time and still is one of my favorite verses is John 16:33 which says, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! For I have overtaken the world.” It reminds me of a song I like called, “You’ve Already Won” by Shane and Shane. While I was preparing for surgery and during the recovery process, my mom would play that song for me often. It says, “So I can face tomorrow, for tomorrow’s in your hands.” This verse and song remind us that we don’t need to be nervous or scared about the days ahead because it is all in God's hands, and He has already won and overtaken the world. 

About two years ago, I went to Vertical, which is a college ministry, and I heard my friend Myles speak. During his talk, the Holy Spirit put it on my heart to get baptized to show the world that I follow Him. So I got baptized in front of family and friends at a place that has helped me grow in my relationship with Jesus in March 2023. That is my story and I hope that you can put your identity and hope in Christ. Thank you so much!

Reflection Questions:

1. What do you put your identity in?

2. What have you had to overcome in your life?

3. How have you had to rely on the Lord in those times?