Young Love and Faith

By Rebekah Yeretzian

Intro by Kim Olachea: Having known Rebekah since she was just a tiny toddler with big brown eyes and dark brown curls, I am thrilled to see this lovely young lady becoming a woman of faith, seeking to follow Jesus and serve Him with her whole heart. As Rebekah shares her experience in the blossoming relationship of her first love, I know that whether or not this relationship is permanent, as long as both continue to live in faith, waiting on the Lord’s direction and timing, they will have no regrets. God’s plan for Rebekah and Philip is good, and their relationship stands as an example of faith in seeking God’s plan, one that is in stark contrast to a culture where most people are seeking their own way, oblivious to the beauty and blessing of the plan of God.

Faith. We hear it a lot. Christians are often heard saying, “I’m sorry you’re struggling, just have faith!” or “I had faith and things are really starting to turn around.” Sometimes a comment like that goes in one ear and out the other. Too often we let our view of reality block our faith. I have been in a loving relationship for about four years now and every step of the way my boyfriend, Philip, and I have fought over our doubts and faith. Many times we were faced with circumstances that we did not know how to handle. Today I write this article as a woman whose faith is strong and growing stronger everyday. Growing my faith was quite a journey, and sometimes it takes a lot to gain a faith that tells doubt to leave. For both my boyfriend and me our faith has been a process, but as we trusted God our faith grew both in each other and in the Lord. Some say young love doesn’t last forever, but I like to say that with a little faith anything is possible.

Faith is when you are faced with a “jump out of the boat” moment, and you decide to jump. Not because you’re crazy, but because you trust the one telling you to get out of the boat. Of course I am speaking figuratively and referencing the story of Peter walking on water to meet Jesus. The boat represents our plans, our comfort zone, and our own selfish desires.

Not knowing your purpose can become an overwhelming burden, and it was especially hard for a teenage girl like me who “needed” to have everything figured out. After being encouraged by my now boyfriend to seek God about my future, I started spending a lot more time praying and asking God to show me what it was He wanted me to do with my life. So, night after night during my devotions I prayed and spent time in God’s word and in His presence. Although I was desperately asking God to reveal His plan I was also nervous to find out what it was. What if what God wanted me to do would be too hard? What if it was uncomfortable? What if I wasn’t ready for it? I did my best to push the doubts to the side and continued seeking the only One who I knew had the answers.

As I struggled with God over my purpose and a calling in life, a stronger friendship began between Philip and me. I knew that God had amazing things in store for him. His goal was to go to school and become a pastor. He cared about people and his only dream was to change people’s lives. It was quite crazy that God brought us together because we both were interested in ministry. One night as I prayed to God and studied His word I felt His call. In a moment I knew that my calling was to support Phil. My calling was to help him with his; to change the world right beside him and go wherever he went. At that moment I knew it was time to get out of the boat. I wasn’t really certain where our relationship was going, but I knew that no matter what I needed to support him, help him, and be there for him. I knew it was time to have faith in God and let Him have complete control. I was scared and nervous, but I stepped out anyway. I stepped out and told Philip what God had revealed to me. That night we put our faith together and told God that we were ready for Him to use us. Ever since then we have learned to step out and to follow God’s call no matter the circumstances. That night I was so nervous and all I could think was “there is no way I will be able to fulfill such a calling.” But even now, several years later, God has given me strength to fulfill His purpose, and all because I got out of the boat.

Now there were times when I wanted to give up and felt as though I couldn’t handle what was being thrown my way. However, I now realize that all the fights we had, all the issues, all the pain, and everything else we went through during these past couple of years was so incredibly worth it. During high school we faced injuries, hospital trips, awful rumors being spread about us, family separations, and stupid fights. There were things Phil was going through and I had absolutely no idea how to be there for him. There were things we simply needed to work out together…  There were things that we simply needed to overcome. While working and growing in Christ together, there were times when things were rough, but we always pushed through and kept the faith, even when people stopped reaching out to us, stopped talking to us, and stopped supporting us. We’ve overcome so much and have worked hard at overcoming every tempting moment and every obstacle. There were things that caused us to want to walk away from our faith. I remember one particular time a rumor about us started at our high school by someone we trusted. We did not understand why someone would spread those awful things about us and our relationship. We were devastated. It seemed like everything we had worked hard at, all of the ways we had tried to set a good example was being poured down the drain. But we overcame, we waited, we forgave, we loved, we accepted, we cherished, we exercised patience, we encouraged, we did our best, we pushed through until we were exhausted, and we never gave up.

Today we are facing one of our biggest tests. We’ve been in a long distance relationship for several months. We go to completely different schools states away from each other. While starting freshman year, Philip joined the Army National Guard as a Chaplain’s Assistant. We rarely talk due to all the training that he is going through. It is not an easy task for either of us. It is often very hard to not hear from or see him, but one thing is true, we’re in a loving, Christ- centered relationship. We have our families supporting us, we’re planning exciting things for our future, we use our experiences to encourage other couples, and in everything we use our talents and abilities for God’s glory. It’s so amazing to look back and see how far we’ve come. Our faith is in Jesus Christ; the One who brought us together all those years ago. Now here we are, four years later, a soldier who has plans to become a pastor after he graduates and a girl who wants to teach ESL and go into ministry. We’ve experienced a lot even though we haven’t even reached our twenties. We both could have walked away from our relationship with Christ and we both almost did. We’re not perfect. We are just two imperfect people who worship a perfect God and willing to be used as His vessels. We know that our happiness is not found in each other, it’s found in Jesus Christ. Our hope and faith is in Jesus.

Without my faith in God, I would not be able to fulfill the calling that God has on my life. I’m so thankful that God has called me to support Phil, to teach, to eventually go overseas and work with other missionaries, and to tell others about Christ’s unconditional love towards us. Fulfilling this calling has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I am forever grateful that God took an imperfect person like me and decided to use me to bring honor and glory to His Kingdom.

As Christians, it should be our goal to please God. The Bible says in Hebrews that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Phil and I made it our goal to please God and wholeheartedly put our faith in Him. Our lives have never been the same and everyday our love for both God and each other grows stronger. So let us all have an unshakable faith; a faith that can move mountains, heal the sick, and change the world. Let’s stop staying in the boat of safety. Jesus is calling us out and it’s time to join Him standing on the waves.

My name is Rebekah Yeretzian, and I am 19 years old. My relationship with Jesus Christ really began to grow when I was in middle school. I felt as though the Holy Spirit was calling me into ministry. During middle school and high school I joined Bible clubs, enjoyed going to chapel services at my school, and I also started attending youth services at my church. Currently, I work as a clerk at a pharmacy, I am a Sunday school teacher, a photographer, and a student at Rowan College at Burlington County. I am studying education and hoping to get my Spanish minor. My goal is to teach English as a second language and eventually take my career overseas. After being on two mission trips to Panama and Costa Rica, I have found that my desire is to begin missions work in Central or South America, and anywhere else God will lead me in the future.