Belief vs. Explanation and Understanding

My religion/belief system is the core of my life. Without it, I think i would truly be lost in this big,crazy world. My personal experiences with religion and everything surrounding it are SO amazing that I can't even begin to explain. Growing up, my parents never really forced Christianity on me, they just told me the things they knew and things that worked for them. With the belief that my parents are some of the best human beings in the world, I figured I wanted to find out more about Christianity and all that it had to offer. However, (although this may sound cheesy) what really got me was the bible stories! I LOVE to read and the stories in the bible were so engaging that I wanted more. When I got a bit older i realized just how important God was to me. When I started being involved in church(not just sitting around watching) I really got submerged into everything God is all about. I felt things that I had never felt before and I wanted more. I, like all of the adults, would cry tears of joy and sorrow. I realized that I didn't have to be alive and that someone my age died yesterday. I would wonder why that person wasn't me but I have come to believe that its because someone was watching me and protecting me and didn't want me gone yet. Of course this may be the easy way out, just to answer all of life's questions with " Because God wanted it that way," but what if its true?

Because of my experiences and interactions with God, I grew as a Christian. However, my belief in Christianity wasn't completely solidified until my grandma passed last November. To see a woman who had been through it all STILL have such a strong belief in God, convinced me that God was real. Its really hard for me to explain how my personal experiences with religion have molded me and shaped me into the person that I am today. The point of explanation is so that others can understand. But, in my opinion, some things just cant be explained or understood.

The entangled, long, string-like grass sways as the wind blows through it. The calm waters below the grass are slightly disturbed as the seven horsemen leisurely glide through them. Shadows begin to appear and the land surrounding the horsemen is still as it awaits the rising of the distant sun.

Erin Brockovich

It was funny because when she first came up to speak I was expecting something like a Julia Roberts look-a-like, but i was so wrong. She came out ready to bare all in front of an audience of over 100 people. I could probably never do that,but I'd imagine that shes said that too. She reassured me, as crazy as it sounds, that the world can actually be a good place. She spoke on how morality always prevails as long as you stick to " your determination, your beliefs, and your convictions." In the type of world that we live in, it's hard to imagine that these statements still hold to be true. However, Erin Brockovich is the proof that, as she states, "morality is invincible." She also made me realize a different view of success. There i was in the audience, thinking about my English paper, redefining my meaning of success. I never realized that success can be making a difference and changing people's lives. Success in life can mean not even attaining wealth at all and to me, that was a shocking thought. Erin Brockovich didn't do what she did because she wanted to profit from it, she did it because it was the right thing to do. She prevailed because she didn't give up and she stuck to her convictions. That to me, is success. I've realized that success is almost completely separated from wealth. Success means taking risks, having motivation, and never letting anyone or anything stray you away from your convictions or dreams. People decide what success means to them not the media or anyone else.