A Time I Regret - Tristan Smithee

     I have had quiet a few time in my life I regret. But some of them I have learned to let go of. One time I will never let myself forgot would be the time I let my friends lead me away from the person that gives me strength, my lord, Jesus Christ. I regret letting this happen, as I felt I had to restart my whole life. 

      As many of you know I was saved last year in August. There was a whole year of things that led up to that moment in my life. It all started six months before that. I had met a few friends from another school. At first they were really nice people, then things started to change and I realized maybe this isn’t the group for me. One day we were sitting out at lunch, I knew two of them didn’t really believe in God and the whole Christianity thing, so I didn’t try to force it on them. They let me believe what I believed and I let them be them. As we sat and ate, they began to say things about my faith. I really was close with them at this point so I went along with it. As the months went by I started drifting even more. Even to the fact I basically threw my Bible in a box and put it in the garage. I started feeling lost with this new way. I stopped going to church, stopped praying, I basically stopped everything and I could really feel the disconnection. After a little longer I finally was at a point in my life I was no longer happy. I decided something had to change. I was happy and believed in something when I had my faith. I didn’t at that moment. So I told them I was going to start getting my life back together. They then began calling me names. So I made the best decision I have ever made, and cut all ties with them. Yes it hurt a lot, but in the end it was worth it. After all of that, I was saved. I am now happy and myself again. I feel connected with the lord and I am glad I am. 

      I regret the moment I let them control my faith. I wish I never let it happen. I feel if a person or group doesn’t let you be you, believe in what you want, they are not truly a friend. I feel I personally am better off without them. As a person we need to surround ourselves with people that build us up, not tear us down. I have done that. I learned my lesson on letting people control my life. In the end I could’ve made the worse mistake in my life, I could’ve never reconnected with the lord. My life is better since I did.