Before God grew my faith, I didn’t really know him well. I understood Christianity, but not why it should be an important part of my life. I grew up Christian—I was baptized as a baby and accepted Jesus into my heart when I was around 7. I understood the head knowledge and I believed in God, but I didn’t apply it to my life very well. During sixth grade, my grandpa unexpectedly passed away. At his funerals—one in Iowa and one in Illinois—I realized I didn’t know much about his past. I knew him as a fun, silly, servant-hearted, loving grandparent, but others knew him differently. I got to hear from many people about how he impacted their lives. I learned so much about the ways he helped and cared for others. It made me love and respect him even more. I didn’t know how to handle the loss, but I tried to do what I’d been taught, which was to lean on God. I grew a lot closer to him because I actually needed him for support. I also learned what people are going through when they say the...