Finding Faith: A Testimony From Magee CU
Back in the Autumn term, Lucy, a first year student from Magee CU came to faith! Read her testimony on how she came to faith below!
Growing up, I was never pushed into faith. My dad was an atheist. My mum was a Christian. She would go to church and encourage my sister and me to go, but she never forced any beliefs on us. As a teenager, I decided it wasn’t for me. My heart was never in the teachings. I never gained anything from church and had a negative mindset about Christianity.
I had many Christian friends who invited me to church events and CU meetings at school, but I always said no. Even though I didn’t believe, I quietly admired their confidence and envied their strong faith, even as I argued against it.
During my A-levels, things started to change. I was overwhelmed by exam stress, stopped eating properly, barely slept, and pulled away from everyone. I kept telling myself it would be worth it, that I’d be happy and free after exams. But when exams ended, the anxiety and depression stayed. Even after getting my university offer, I still felt low and fell into depression.
Just before uni, my friend Katie saw how much I was struggling and got me a birthday card. And in it she wrote Philippians 1:3: “I thank my God every time I remember you.” I read it and cried. For the first time, I saw what Jesus’ love can look like through my friend. And it began to spark an interest in Christianity.
A few days later, while out for a walk, I felt a nudge to read the Bible. So I reached out to Katie. She gave me advice and suggested I try Magee CU at university. I went on the very first night and felt like a complete imposter. Everyone there seemed so sure of their faith, and I didn’t know anyone. I was scared and felt like I didn’t belong. Every week I told myself I wouldn’t go back, but every week I found myself returning. Something kept drawing me in. I really believe it was the Holy Spirit bringing me back each time. Over the next few weeks, I got the courage to tell people I wasn’t a Christian. Instead of being judged, I was welcomed with warmth, people shared Bible verses and their own stories, and offered to pray for me.
I learned that God wasn’t punishing me. We just live in a broken world. But we have a loving Father who helps us through every struggle, who understands us, and who will always accept and forgive us.
But I still had doubts. I felt like I was too far gone to be saved. So when the CU weekend came around in November, I told my friends I wasn’t going. They encouraged me to go anyway and said it would be really good for me. I’m so glad I listened, because that weekend I had some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve ever had. In small groups, we talked about deep topics, especially the one I struggled with most: If God loves me so much, why did I go through that depression? Through those conversations, I learned that God wasn’t punishing me. We just live in a broken world. But we have a loving Father who helps us through every struggle, who understands us, and who will always accept and forgive us. That was a real turning point for me.
During my time at CU and over that weekend, I kept thinking, I want to live like this. I want to live for God. I had spent so long living for myself, and it clearly wasn’t working. But the more I learned about God, the more I saw how much he had already done in my life and how much I needed him.
That Sunday night, I gave my life to Christ. I told everyone, and their reaction was amazing. Everyone was so excited and full of love. Now I want to live by his plan, glorify him, and share the good news that was shared with me!
