by Dana Brown

I was raised in a Christian household where my parents exemplified Christ, or at least, tried to do a decent job at it. However, they made sure to always remind my siblings and I that becoming a part of the family of God was a personal decision we each would have to make. They showed us a path that they wanted us to take but left the decision up to us to be swayed towards our own desires or what they thought was God’s desire for us.

All through primary school, I wrestled with my insight on the man Christ Jesus. Most importantly, I grappled with the notion of what He should really mean to me.  I became a ruminant, always internalizing questions when I sat in church hearing the message of the gospel or in Sunday school when the teachers tried to pass off the word of God as precious with our weekly assigned “golden texts”. I was mesmerized. I was puzzled. The message of the gospel became a beautiful mystery to me. My classmates in primary school, actually, were convinced that I had come to the faith way before I truly surrendered to Christ. The truth is I was baptized at 12 years of age when I was on the verge of entering high school. I had no idea how true surrender to Jesus Christ could change my life forever.

I remember when I enrolled at that school that wears the Jippy, Joppa hat. Yes, I speak of the Westwood High school in Trelawny, Jamaica. Regardless of whether or not I’d like to admit it, Westwood High school has left an indelible mark upon me, especially after I became a part of the Inter-Secondary Christian Fellowship (ISCF). Although I chose not to take on executive functions in the club throughout my 5 years at Westwood High, I had a steady membership attendance and would get involved with the activities which ensued. ISCF to me, at that time, meant fellowship in every sense of the word. Girls from varying backgrounds gathered together for a unified reason-“to know Christ and to make Him known”. There were also those moments when the annual walkathon ignited the spirit of competition and camaraderie because we wanted the walkathon trophy back where it belonged- in the trophy cabinet at Westwood High School. ISCF enforced within me the core values of morality and self-actualization which were integral in my search for identity throughout high school. I was able to better understand the kind of woman I wanted to grow into

and the kind of character I wished to display from then onward. In spite of this, my Christ walk with God was not without its spiritual potholes or rather, spiritual growth opportunities as I struggled with an inferiority complex, fear and discontent with my singleness. ISCF helped me to see myself the way Christ sees me and to be able to encourage other girls who struggle with similar cognitive distortions.

After leaving secondary school, tertiary school gave me an opportunity to still be a member of a Christian Fellowship through the Universities’ and Colleges’ Christian Fellowship (UCCF) meetings held each Thursday at the University of the West Indies (Mona) Chapel. When campus life got really rocky, I found solace in those afternoons by the chapel. I was always comforted that there was no logical reason to give up on my relationship with Christ.

I am just a few weeks into my final year at the University of the West Indies (Mona) and the legacy of knowing Christ and making Him known is of permanence to my persona. “To know Christ and to make him known” has always resounded the message of stewardship and evangelism within me. It’s a clear reminder of living in boldness, shining radiantly and transmitting hope for those on campus who feel hopeless. I endeavor to continue inspiring others to make Christ their personal choice and to transmit His love through those I meet on and off campus.