When asked what was the most important commandment, Jesus answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind’ (Matthew 22:37).
That’s why I find it so important to nurture my spirit and revive my soul for God. So I greet each morning and end each day with prayer. I believe each day is a test of faith. How well we do shows non-Christians the strength, or weakness, of the roots of our beliefs. By living each day according to God’s will, we strengthen our souls. By strengthening our souls, we nurture our spirits.
I also believe reading God’s word is one of the best ways I can nurture my spirit. The Bible I use was designed for my age group and has a reading program I follow each night.
I began daily prayer and Bible reading a few years ago to fulfill a growing desire to learn more about my faith. This journey has since included district, conference and General Church events like Central Pennsylvania Conference’s School of Christian Mission and the 1998 United Methodist Women’s Assembly in Orlando, Fla. At Assembly, I learned about our United Methodist Church and its mission projects. I nurtured my soul and renewed my faith.
As I continue to grow in spirit and soul, I will always look up to the women who have nurtured and mentored me like my mother and grandmother and Joan Maruskin, a local pastor who is an advocate for refugees and other social justice issues; and Dusty Knisley and Hildegard Sollenberger, who are members of United Methodist Women at my home church. Their strength and faith in God inspire me.
Courtney Jo Harvey, a ninth grade student at Red Lion Senior High School in Red Lion, Pa., is a member of Bethlehem Stonepile United Methodist Church in Red Lion.