I grew up in a very religious household. As a kid, skipping church service was not an option. Despite the fact that it was mandatory, I actually really liked going to church back in the day. But what I liked most were the competitions that fed into my overachiever tendencies. Prizes for perfect attendance at Sunday School or for memorizing Bible verses motivated me. Chances to participate in Christmas and Easter plays allowed me to be the superstar that my childhood-self wanted to be. Christianity took on a new meaning when, at six years old, I made a profession of faith. I acknowledged that Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins, and I desired to live in accordance to the Bible from then on. Research shows that the religious environment in which a child is raised heavily impacts religious identity in adulthood. I know that my parents’ and grandparents’ beliefs definitely contributed to my decision to become a Christian. However, the path since I became Christian at six years old has been solely mine.
Through middle school, high school, college and now in graduate school, my faith has provided a strong anchor for me, during both the blessings and the storms. When I failed a medical school exam, God reminded me to focus on the end goal! When I went through a tough break up, God was my comfort! When I prayed to get into Penn Med, God heard me! When I prayed to get financial assistance to business school, God heard me again! God has had my back 100% and for that, I can only praise Him!
To be honest, I’m still not sure how I plan to discuss my faith (and Christianity as a whole) because openness about my faith is still very new to me. But I do hope to use this blog as a means of fostering conversation about Christianity and religion as a whole.
Peace and blessings,
-Atasha Jordan, MD (to be)
