ENCOUNTER - BE A TRENDSETTER | KAIROS GLOBAL | JANUARY 2019

Author: Jasmin Santhosh

Intro: Jasmin Santhosh shares her journey with Christ and how He transformed her insecure teenage life

I grew up in a catholic family – to parents who were regulars at our local prayer group. But I was born in a country where religious freedom was severely limited, a country which prohibits the practice of any religion other than Islam. Usually, this is enough for most people to stray away from God. However, unlike others, my parents chose the narrow path. My mom snuck in a bible and a rosary on her first visit to this foreign country! 

Our family were regulars at the ‘secret’ (as public worship was not allowed) prayer meetings, mass and catechism classes. Even though church was a huge part of my life growing up, I wasn’t fully convinced. If someone had asked the little 8-year-old, if I believed in God, I probably would have said ‘Yes’. If they had asked me if God could love me, my answer would have been ‘No’. Like most kids brought up in an Indian community, I viewed God as a big, old, angry man, watching our every single move, waiting for someone to sin so that he could punish us. I could not even fathom why people worshipped a man so scary.

A couple of years went by, circumstances had changed and my family moved to Australia. I was a few years older but not necessarily wiser. I was now a stubborn little teenager who still wasn’t convinced of my faith. Like most teenagers growing up in a country like Australia, I was filled with insecurities. I was quite happy living in the safe zone I had created for myself – my family, a few close friends, home and school. 

Around this time, a family friend invited me to a Jesus Youth Teens Retreat. Naturally, my answer was no. However, like all JY elders - they don’t just invite you once, they ask multiple times. After a few house visits my parents were convinced. With quite the scepticism, I hesitantly decided to go to my first Jesus Youth Retreat. I hadn’t even heard of Jesus Youth before – what could they tell me that I hadn’t heard of before? 

However, from the get go, this retreat felt different. It was nothing like the many other retreats I had been to. Everything that was said, I could relate to. It was as if they were talking directly to me. All the struggles the speakers were talking about were my struggles too. After every session, after every adoration I felt myself getting closer and closer to the truth. Never had I felt such intense love. Finally, God made sense, everything made sense. I truly believed God loved me! No longer was he a punishing God, but a Father who loved me unconditionally. 

So at 13, just like that I had my first God experience. I want to say it was all smooth sailing from that point on. But it wasn’t. There were many more retreats after that. I still had faith, but was quite happy to be just like that. I was a believer but never a doer – quite happy to just turn up to events. I never believed I could be more that a spectator. 

In 2013, aged 17, I went to a national training program for young people – ‘Trendsetters’. The whole theme for the event was to “Be a Trendsetter, Leave a Mark.” Even when the elders first approached me to attend the program, I said no. It was just not my thing, way out of my league. How could I – a shy, insecure teenager be a trendsetter? But thankfully, the JY elders never gave up. So hesitantly (after weeks of persuasion), I decided to go. And I’m so glad I did. 

To this day, Trendsetters is an experience I treasure. It made me realise that I wasn’t just called to be a spectator and that I had so much more to offer. Believing was no longer enough, it was time for action and it was time for me to do something for Jesus. It was time to let go of my fears and insecurities and let God mould me into the person he wants me to be. And it was scary but like Pope Benedict said, “The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” 

To the young people reading this, you don’t have to start big. I didn’t and that is ok - not everyone can go from being timid one day to a resource person the next. But we’re all called to practice what we preach. Find something that interests you and do it with a sincere heart. For some it may be music, for others writing. Others might be excellent speakers or actors or dancers. Or like what I did – it might be inviting people to events. Whatever it is, “be doers of the word, and not merely hearers” (James 1:22). 

And to the any elders reading this, please don’t give up. Keep listening and engaging with your young people. Your presence in a young person’s life might just be the extra push they need. Me being me, have always said no to everything that was put towards me (whether it be a retreat or a responsibility). But God being God, working through the elders, have always changed those No’s into Yes’s.  

Jasmin Santhosh works as an Auditor and is currently pursuing her Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting. She lives with her family in Brisbane, Australia. She is currently a National Council Member of JY Australia and Brisbane Regional Council Member.