I got home from practice, everything was normal. I go up stairs and look out the window. There was an ambulance at my neighbor’s house. I was so confused. I asked my mom what was going on, and she had no clue either. My neighbor's grandson came over a few minutes later, he gave my mom a hug, and told her that Mr. Noble had a stroke. I was in complete shock. I watched him be put into the ambulance on a stretcher, still processing what had happened. He had lost feeling in his left side and his speech was not really present. A day or two later my mom said “Kiddos don’t forget to say your prayers for Mr. Noble tonight” I looked at her and said “Mom, I have been praying long and hard for him each night. I hope he is doing better.” Mr. Noble came home and they had seen some progress but still had a little ways to go. I believe 100% God heard me and worked with Mr. Noble. To this day he still has some damage, recovering and may not be exactly the Mr. Noble he was before the stroke, but man does that guy have the sweetest heart. I know deep down he is still really that same guy with or without perfect speech, or feeling on his left side. I feel as if this was a reason God impacted me because that was a big starting point as to how I got closer with God and believing, trusting, and having that positive attitude. God is someone who has impacted my life in a significant way. He has taught and shown me trust, belief, and positivity. 

The biggest impact that god has had on my life is trust. When I was six, I had gone into the target minute clinic for a strep test. As they were checking my heartbeat they noticed something wasn't normal. They had heard a murmur in my heartbeat. I was so scared and in shock. We scheduled an appointment to go see a cardiologist. I went to that appointment and had an echo done. The doctors had told my parents and me that I had a hole in my heart and would have to have surgery in order to fix it. As a 6 year old, I didn't know what would happen and I would cry every time we could go to the doctors. I knew I just had to trust that everything was going to be okay and that God is in control. He makes everything happen for an exact reason. Looking back, now that the doctors had told me this past April I shouldn't have to worry about it anymore which gave me that trust. I trusted I would be okay and that I’d have the heart just like everyone else. I not only just need that trust in God, but also my friends, family, teammates and more. Having my surgery was my first realization of the big impact trust has on me and is the one that has impacted me the most.

Another impact that God has had on my life is belief. As I was scrolling across VSCO one day on my phone. I came across a quote that said “My mom told me that if you ever feel like God isn't there, remember that the teacher is always silent during the test. And that has stuck with me.” It has in fact stuck with me very clearly. I pray a lot, and it's almost like God isn’t listening or can't hear my prayer, but reading that quote made me realize he 100% is. He is just silent until that prayer has been answered or a miracle has happened. I believe that God's creation was made just for us. Not anyone but his people, and it's beautiful. Sunsets make me think of him. It's like God painted the sky so we can see this beautiful art he made just for us, and he does it for a reason. God has impacted me with believing in him and knowing that it's all in his hands. I believe that God knows what he is doing, that he is doing it for a reason, and it's great work from him. God wouldn’t put us through obstacles he knows we can’t handle, and that's why I believe in him. Even if I am put through tough obstacles, he is only doing it because he knows it makes us a stronger and a better person. It gets better. I know it does. When he wakes me up every morning, I just know it's because he isn’t done working with me. Believe me when I say God is always listening. He hears our prayers, and that is how he has taught me belief.

Lastly, he has taught me positivity. God has taught me to always look on the bright side. There will always be a wonderful outcome no matter how hard it was in the beginning. My older sister Jaci always tells me when I am stressing about a test, or about homework to not think about it. To be honest, I looked at her like she was crazy. She then says “Stressing or overthinking about a test is what makes you do worse than what you want to get for a score. Have a positive mindset going into that test knowing that you are going to ace it.” That stood out to me remarkably. Taking her advice I generally go into a test with a positive mindset. My 46 year old uncle had a stroke a few weeks ago, it was very unexpected. Knowing that him having that stroke could affect a portion of things on him and our family, I continued to think on the positive side. It was always “He is going to be okay” in my mind. With that being said, I feel like God knew that I had the positive in me because we received good news not too long after. News that he is doing better and that they think with baby steps he could become very close to being his normal self again. Looking on the bright side and that there will always be a good outcome is the biggest part of positivity that God had impacted me with. 

God has had a significant impact on my life and I wouldn’t want it to be any other way. Being taught trust, belief, and positivity couldn’t have been possible to learn without God teaching me it. Mr Noble’s story has honestly changed my life because within that there was little learning of each of those things. Something that has also taught me trust, belief, and positivity was when I had heart surgery. My heart surgery is definitely a huge part of me and God has made that a special impact on me.  I wouldn’t be able to have that without God's impact and what he makes happen in our lives. He has shaped me into the person I am today and I couldn't be more grateful. This is why God has impacted me and is someone who I can always turn to. I know he will always be by my side and have my back.