Why am I here?

This is the question that used to keep me up at night. I would lay awake and wonder if this was all life really was. I had an okay life - good family, good friends, good grades, etc - but it just seemed so pointless in the big scheme of things. Was I really meant to just go about my business in life and then die and go to heaven? I was 16 at this point in my life and I was on the verge of God opening my eyes to the answer to my question. I did not grow up consistently attending church, but I did have people in my life who followed Christ and made it a point to share Him with me. My friend Johanna took me to Bible Camp two years in a row when we were in 4th and 5th grade. It was here that I heard the Gospel and received a Bible. Another friend, Kirsten, would take me along to her youth group and on a few church trips where they would talk to me about the Bible I had. I read that Bible for the next 5 years and I learned a lot about God during that time. But I did not know what it meant to place my faith in Him and have Him transform my life. I knew Jesus was the way to Heaven (I thought everyone knew that) but it seemed like I was still missing something. When I was a Sophomore in high school, my family began attending a church and my parents started reading the Bible - I saw major changes in my home life. My dad spoke to me one night and told me that he had been on the wrong path and felt he was taking our family with him. But now he understood that things would be different. He said the verse in Matthew 7 about those who call “Lord, Lord” but the Lord says He never knew them was a huge eye opener. I thought and thought about that for many nights. I began to question the purpose of my life and why I was the way I was. I realized that the Gospel I heard in elementary school wasn’t just about “where do you want to go when you die” but about having a living, daily relationship with my Creator. I prayed that God would be the Lord and Savior of my life and for Him to transform me. I am so thankful to the Lord for the way He has moved in my family and in my life. Now, when I finally lay my head down on the pillow at night, I know that the reason I'm here is because God loves me, desires to have an interactive relationship with me, and wants me to bring him glory in the way I love him and share His love with others. I love Him so much and I’m so grateful to be his daughter.