[Lenay Nichols]

Standing for what’s right, especially when it comes to God, is not always easy, and it has cost me.
When I was 16 years old, I had a fake ID. I was out running around with my older cousin because I felt safe with her. However, I didn’t realize that one day I would be sitting in church, ready to rededicate my life to Christ. When that day came, I remember telling her I would no longer be joining her when it came to going to the club. First, I was underage. Second, I was using someone else’s ID. And third, I was creating an unhealthy reality for myself.
That day in church, I remember feeling the love of God in a way I thought I had lost. It was a reminder that He never left me. From that moment, I began making changes in my life. I started therapy and came face to face with repentance.
It cost me relationships. It cost me being misunderstood. It meant outgrowing people I thought would be in my life forever. It required walking away from things that felt good in the moment but did not align with God.
Just like John the Baptist, I have found myself speaking to others from my own experiences; my past, my mistakes, and my repentance. Because of this, I understand “it may cost you your life.” For me, it meant letting go of my old ways in order to receive a fresh wind of grace, mercy, and a renewed heart.