Jacob Wortley

Dr. Menkin Kontelis

ENGL 10803

12 Sep. 2019

The Growth of Religious Belief

Authors Note: I feel as though my thesis is well represented, but I had a tough time

depicting my story. Additionally, I would like to work on more impactful word choice. Because

of my lack of vision, I struggled to keep my focus through the last body paragraph of the essay.

Looking for ways to continue my focus and end with a conclusion that thoroughly portrays why I

believe in religion. I would like to know what your interpretation on the theme of the piece is.

Additionally, Please comment on ways you see how I could bring the paper full circle.

I believe in One God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Ever since I can remember, I have always been led to believe in a higher power than

myself. Coming from both a Catholic grade school and a Dominican Catholic high school,

spiritual growth has always been second nature. Having an inherent truth, I grew up to be

responsible in the views of my religion. Now why, you may ask, does any child begin to believe

in such an abstract being? For me, it was my experience of both adversity and success which

brought me closer to theology.

At the age of four years old, I played my first game of baseball. From that life-changing

day, I became hooked on the sport all through grade school and into high school. From the

strenuous yet rewarding practices to the thrill of games, I was never ready to step off of the fine,

dusty dirt field. However, at the swing of a bat, my life changed forever. The pain shot down my
legs like a thousand knives. From that moment, I knew I would never play baseball again. I had

broken my back. Because of my unfortunate circumstances, I began to fall into a severe state of

depression. Being a teenager in high school, there are a myriad of social pressures that plague

kids every day. For me, I had just lost the one commitment I had set myself on for years on end.

Through my depression, I found what is often referred to as a revelation. While my experience

did not involve dramatic scenes of angels, I was, in fact, overwhelmed by a sense of euphoria.

Sitting in mass, I knew for an instant that a plan was there for me to follow: to go out of

strengthen qualities that I had been given.

In growing through my sorrow, I formed better relationships with the people around me.

Most importantly, I sought out help in my high school’s campus minister. With his help, I joined

organizations that worked to strengthen my belief in God. In his great trust in me, he assigned

me a leadership position on an impactful catholic retreat known as Kairos. In allowing me to take

inventory of my faith, I left knowing my place with God and how the meaning of faith is an ebb

and flow of love. As a result, I found confidence in my mind and heart.

While I found peace in God through my experience on Kairos, my faith journey has been

spiritually taxing. However, the arduous times of loneliness at my breaking point allowed for an

immense amount of growth and love in my life. Here, I was able to gain a new perspective and

cherish the love for myself and my family. Through continuous adversity, I was finally able to

trust my heart and set my eyes on new ideas. Only through mentors who trusted in me was I able

to find my faith in God.