How Jesus Has Been Faithful in Every Chapter of My Story

Hi, my name is Meg, and I am a Christian. I am an editor, content creator, writer, and author. Right now, I work on Christianity.com with the editorial team at Salem Web Network, which is an absolute honor and privilege. How did I end up here? What does it mean to follow Jesus? 

How My Faith Journey Began

For me, it started when I was a little kid. I grew up in the Catholic church, attended Catholic school, and remained involved in the youth renewal team. When I was in public high school, we put on weekend retreats for high schoolers. Then I went off to college at Ashland University — Go Eagles! I ran cross country and track, and one of my teammates, who is still one of my best friends today, invited me to FCA. It flipped my faith upside down. It flipped the switch on. I learned a lot during those years. I remember buying my first NIV Bible, the one I wrote in and highlighted. I really grew in my faith during those early college years.

How Motherhood Helped Me Take Faith Seriously

When I tragically lost one of my high school best friends, I really kind of fell away. It wasn’t until my 20s, when I was married and had my first daughter, that I realized it was time to take my faith seriously and lock in with Jesus. And I did. I joined a Bible study at our church. I knew the Lord was calling me to stay home as a mom, which was hard. My husband works in the car business, and it was 2007, 2008. Stepping away from my job to obey God in that season of my life was a huge leap of faith. But once I did, he came through for us over and over again in so many miraculous ways. You don’t want to hear me ramble on about all of them, but that season really solidified my faith. It made my relationship with him feel all the more real and personal.

How Writing Became Part of My Walk with Jesus

I started writing down all the things I knew my tired brain would never be able to retain while raising two girls, two years apart, mostly home by myself because my husband worked really long hours. That writing eventually became a blog, and that blog became a sweet community and one of the most wonderful learning seasons of my life with Jesus. He began weaving the Bible study I was doing into my everyday life, along with the fun I had writing about everyday funny things. He wove those two pieces together into beautiful stories — stories that encouraged me, showed me what he was doing in my life, made others laugh, and encouraged people who were walking through the same seasons of life. It was such a beautiful experience.

From there, I just kept writing. Eventually, one of the Salem editors discovered me at a blog meetup and asked me to write for Salem. I became a freelance writer for, I think, around seven years. Then, a few years ago, one of my editors asked me to fill in for an editor on maternity leave. I gladly accepted, and I’ve been here ever since. The Lord is all over my story. I work very hard on everything he gives me, but I cannot take any credit. I always say, “All glory up,” and I truly mean it. From the lowest lows to the highest highs, he has consistently been there for me.

What a Personal Relationship with Jesus Means to Me

Jesus is a consistent presence in my life. In the hard times, he sits there with me — in the place where you ugly cry because the bottom is falling out, life is hard, and you don’t even know the words to pray. He has sat there with me, and his presence has been so palpable that it felt like I could lay my head on his shoulder. That is how real my relationship with Jesus is.

I remember coming through a miraculous healing. I had a disease where my spine was starting to fuse, and he healed it. Afterward, I trained for a marathon because, of course, I can’t do anything small. I remember finishing one of my runs, running back up to my house, and feeling like his hand was holding mine. In the highs and lows of life, he has built the chapters of my story into this beautiful book that I now carry with me and continue to add to. I can also look back, reread, and revisit those chapters to remember that it has always been about him. Anything good in my life is from Jesus.

Why Daily Prayer Keeps Me Close to Jesus

I am no theologian. I study and pray every day, but not because I want to be smart or know a bunch of things. I do take that seriously, and I do want to be correct theologically. That is definitely important to me. But the most important thing is my connection with Jesus. I cannot live without him. Every morning, I sit in this same spot and pray. I do whatever it takes to focus. I have a hard time paying attention, so if I need to put stickers in my journal, use different-colored pens, or do whatever else helps me stay engaged, I do. I take that time seriously because I have learned that time spent with him is never wasted. He gives me a new perspective on life. I see things differently. I see people differently. I see myself differently.

I could never raise two girls without Jesus. I couldn’t be a wife without Jesus. I couldn’t be a daughter, a friend, or someone serving in the community without him. Life is very difficult. It was not meant to be easy, and it is not going to be easy on this earth. But oh my gosh, has it been full of joy beyond anything I could have asked for or imagined. Sometimes I look around and feel so grateful and blessed that it overwhelms me. He continues to blow me away.

Start Following Jesus One Small Step at a Time

I share my story today with the hope that, if you do not know Jesus or do not have that kind of personal connection with him, you might consider it. Maybe you would talk to him about it and start small. That is how I started. I read a devotional. I locked the door just to get five minutes with my Jesus Calling devotional, which one of the sweet older ladies in our church had given me. The Lord took those five minutes and grew it. I remember feeling so filled up from those few minutes that I carried them with me through the rest of the day. I could not believe what he could do in five minutes. Of course, in seasons when I had more time, I loved to sit with him longer. In seasons when I didn’t have that time, because sometimes life is just life, I learned that even a few minutes is enough. No matter how much you try to prioritize it, some seasons only allow a little time.

The Lord knows your heart. He can stretch those minutes. And I promise you, seasons will slow down again, and you will be able to fill back up. Trust me, he will blow you away.

Following Jesus is not some magical carpet ride. Being a Christian is hard. But gosh, it is incredible to know that the Creator of the universe walks with me every day. His Spirit is in me, guiding me and leading me. I am not alone. When you put Jesus first, the rest will fall into place — not necessarily the way you want it to, but the way the Lord wills it to. It does not fall lightly on me that I now work on Christianity.com. It has Jesus’ name right in it. But as I look back, I can see how the Lord prepared me for this. I grew up Catholic. I was involved in FCA in college. I attended Grace Brethren Church in college. I was part of a local Methodist church when my kids were younger. Then we switched to the non-denominational church we belong to now. I even attended a Pentecostal church for a while. It is amazing to see how the Lord has prepared me to sit here. I do not take it lightly, and I do not act like I know everything. I did not go to seminary. I am not a theologian. But I do have my story, and Jesus is all over it. I can share personally how I know he is the real deal.

Why Christian Community Matters in Following Jesus

I hope everything you find on Christianity.com helps you, as we say at our church, grow one step closer to God and to the people he has placed in your life. Our God is not a God of coincidence. He is so purposeful. Pay attention to the people he places in your path — both the people you are called to serve and the ones who are there to encourage you. Look for those people. We are not alone because he is with us, but he also places people around us. It is so important to be involved in the church, not just a church building, but a community of people who can help you grow, encourage you, and whom you can encourage as well. It is beautiful how he places us in community. No matter what is happening in our chaotic climate today, we can know that he is solid. He has a plan for our lives, for all of us, and for eternity. That brings me so much comfort.

The Difference Between Happiness and Joy in Christ

When I was younger, sitting in Catholic school, I remember doodling all the time. One of the things I doodled over and over was, “Don’t worry, be happy.” I was always a funny kid. I liked to laugh. Most people knew me by my laugh. They would hear me coming. So maybe it wasn’t a coincidence that I doodled that. What I think is so cool is that my life verse now is “Be joyful always” from 1 Thessalonians 5:16. How amazing it is that, as a child, I was basically doodling the same truth on my notebooks that I now proclaim over my life today? But now I know joy is not just fleeting happiness. It is deeply rooted. Even when you are not laughing, and nothing feels funny, that joy never fails. It pulls you through. It is something so much deeper than happiness. That is the best way I can describe how the Lord grows your perspective and your soul as you grow with him and follow him. I hope you enjoy my story.

Be blessed, and all glory up.