Please listen to my podcast and read my script below.
I believe in myself. My name is GN, but that is a label. Like every student, I am a person who gets up in the morning, goes to school, and comes home. We all have the same desires; we fear and love in the same manner. We end up diverse because of an innumerable set of occurrences. I am who I am because of my experiences and memories, not because of my name, skin color, or country of origin.
The dictionary defines belief as “an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.” A belief is something one accepts as true or real, a firmly held opinion or conviction. Beliefs are the fundamental ingredients in identity. They are the answer to the question of who we are. Belief can influence our behavior; therefore it is of great importance. Because belief is an acceptance of truth, it is important to know what we mean by truth. I define truth as the individual person, his or her practices, and what is right and wrong.
Small miracles in my life led me to believe in God. When I was a little kid, my family was very poor. Our status as legal immigrants in Gabon limited work opportunities. My mother and father worked many hours a day in order to pay the bills, until one day, my father was offered a job as a janitor at a local market. His salary covered everything. For us, it was a miracle.
One of the reasons I believe in God is that faith gives an explanation of something greater than myself, giving my life purpose and meaning. In life’s randomness, so many of us rush through the days, unmindful of the preciousness of who we are, and forgetful of the abundance of love given to us and the opportunities that surround us.
Like my father’s new job, the innumerable set of occurrences that make me unique, my experiences and memories, are small miracles. The same miracles that give me faith in God allow me to believe in myself.
