Although I’d always wanted to make something of my future, I just lost interest. I began to cause trouble, arguing with other girls - usually about boys -and would always be shouting and swearing. One of my teachers wouldn’t even allow me in her class one particular day. My grades plummeted from As to Ds.
I had started attending the UCKG with my parents but wasn’t really bothered. I would come to church with them but I wasn’t interested in anything that was going on. I was attending just for the sake of it. However, I started attending the Youth Group in Finsbury Park and noticed how the other young people were. They were so different to the people in school where everyone would argue, be jealous of one another and gossip.
I began to pay attention to what was being said in the Youth Group and in the Wednesday and Friday services I was attending. One day, in a VYG meeting, the Pastor was speaking about analysing ourselves to see where we were heading in life. I knew I was going nowhere and my attitude was just making my life worse. I realised I was stuck and I wasn’t happy with what I saw.
We were invited to bring in our pens and notepads etc. to be anointed. It was explained that it wasn’t just about bringing things to be anointed. The Pastor said, ‘You have to do something that’s different. You have to start changing yourselves. The prayers alone won’t work. You have to do something too,” and so I decided to start making some serious changes, especially in school.
I had, as of late, sat at the back in class with all the trouble makers. I started sitting in the front row instead so that I could pay attention and concentrate. I began doing more work than what was expected of me. Soon after, I was put into a higher class in one of my subjects. I excelled so much in art that my work was used as an example.
In my mock exams, I got A stars and my tutor said she’d never seen such high grades in mock exams before. They were astonished and it was all down to the messages I was hearing in church and the prayers I was receiving.
And how do I feel towards my parents today? I now have a great relationship with them and we are very open with one another and communicate. Family life is great and I have no bad feelings towards my parents anymore.
I now attend college and I’m studying media and the future’s looking very bright.
