Victors of our Stories

Yasmin Kashfipour
Nov 5 · 4 min read

I have never considered myself religious, but more so, spiritual. I accept all religions and think there is something valuable to take from them all. I think it’s great to attend a service, research, or learn from someone who practices a certain religion that intrigues you.

Now, in my experience, I have noticed that lots of millennials go through a phase in life — usually in their teens, where they start questioning their faith. For myself, I went through this phase in high school, when I started questioning what I believed in — was it the same as what I learned growing up, was it what my friends believed, or what society wanted me to believe? I had no choice but to explore this — but I was not alone.

I had gone to religious services growing up, listened to sermons, read scriptures, worshipped, and held hands with random strangers to pray together. I always felt at peace — a complete & whole feeling, even if I did not believe the same thing the person next to me did.

After years of an absence in a religious setting — I made the choice last night to attend a service with a good friend. I was never devout to always attend a religious gathering or service because I truly do believe, you are heard whether you are in church, or in the comfort of your own home. But, there is something about attending a service that brings you together with other people, spreads knowledge and puts lessons into perspectives that you may not have thought about otherwise.

If you have had the pleasure of ever attending Passion City Church and their event called The Grove— then you know the name fits the description PERFECTLY. The people that make up this church are full of passion — not pressuring anyone into conversion or limiting how many can be of attendance or deferring those who do not believe or practice the same teachings; everyone was welcome and this spoke to me. It was beautiful to see a community come together as whole — hugging random strangers, having deep and thoughtful conversations, and discussing difficult & sensitive topics and experiences.

Yesterday, The Grove opened up the floor to discuss anxiety & depression. At first, I was completely stunned that a church would open up to discuss the topic of mental illness, but as the conversations began and the stories poured out — my breath was truly taken away.

Facts are Facts. There are about 5 different, KNOWN anxiety disorders: Generalized Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive, and PTSD. A lot of the time, anxiety and depression can go hand in hand. Different stimulants can trigger anxiety and depression, and the saddest part is that most anxiety and depression goes undiagnosed throughout people’s lives.

It was incredible to see ordinary people opening up and explaining how their faith allowed them to move forward and that anxiety and depression was not just their life — they knew that they would be carried through and not afraid to discuss their diagnoses.

Having had personal experiences with anxiety and depression, it was eye-opening to see the church having open discussions. It was the demonstrations of these speakers and how their faith had carried them forward through these difficult times that showed me just how God had been working in their lives and how he works in mine every day — even though it may not always be apparent.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4eEPsAlByd/?igshid=18ikzjmtra0o3 CHECK OUT THIS CLIP FROM THE DISCUSSION IF INTERESTED.


There were a few words that resonated with me at the end of it, and those were: Victors of our Stories. Going through mental illness or any difficult situation makes one realize that they are the victors of their story. So, if you are someone battling mental illness or a difficult situation — know that you are not alone; millions of people around the world battle these silent diseases — but getting care does not make one weak. It makes you the Victor.

Thank you PCC, The Grove, and my beautiful friend Caroline for taking me to this great service!

With Love, Yas

Yasmin Kashfipour

Written by

Student of life on a journey to self-discovery. To write is to let go; to let go is to live happy.

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