Youth Evening at Ealing Abbey

An evening with Georgia Clarke.

The Ealing Abbey Youth Group will be hosting Georgia Clarke on Thursday 7^th March at 7.30pm.  Georgia will be speaking about her journey of faith and this promises to be an extremely valuable evening for all 15 – 18 year olds.  The meeting will take place at the Coffee Shop in Ealing Abbey.  There is a suggested donation of £5.00 and this will include a meal.

Georgia says, ‘I became a practicing Catholic around the age of 15. Before that, I had been baptised and did my First Holy Communion because that is just what you had to do but I barely ever went to Church and could hardly call myself a believer. I was then asked to do my Confirmation and, although reluctantly, I attended the sessions and went on weekend trips with the group. I slowly found myself enjoying going each week, I made lifelong friendships and again and again I was hit with this message: Love. In its purest, most selfless, indestructible completely incredible form. Most avid Christians will be able to tell you that there was a time or moment when it all just ‘clicked’ and in their heart something changed. It is a really strange experience, you don’t have to know exactly why or how it is all true but your heart is just convinced that it must be. With that realisation comes a huge amount of joy (it often brings me to tears) and yet a huge amount of responsibility.

I had a choice to embrace it (like many do) or to wrestle with it (like many do).

The truth is that choice isn’t a once and for all kind of decision. I have to be honest with you, it’s not always easy to live a Christian life. People will sometimes say ‘but you’re a Christian!?’ as if that makes my decisions any easier or that I have no difficulties. I guess it should and if I were perfect then I’d have no trouble struggling against temptation- but I’m not perfect and I do struggle. Over time we learn to overcome the temptations which aren’t worth the struggle but we are all on our own journey. I guess that’s why I need Jesus more than anything. He sees my imperfections and struggles but loves me exactly as I am but too much to leave me this way. There is something terrifying and yet comforting knowing that my failures could never outweigh His love and could never make Him turn His back on me. In that fact I think I realised that He never came into my life to take anything away from it, but to give me everything that I deeply, truly desired.

One of the most beautiful things about Christianity is that it is exactly that; beautiful. It is the most romantic relationship – we believe that God loved us so much that He died for us, we believe that joy changes lives, we believe that we can be forgiven and accepted just as we are. Look no further to satisfy your longing to be loved! It seems to me that Christianity is often shown in this way, because it is true. When I kneel down to pray, I sometimes feel that is where I am at my strongest, happiest and most free. Living a Christian life isn’t easy, but it is completely and totally worth it. You have absolutely nothing to lose, but the whole world to gain.’