Article January 1, 2000 Issue

One-on-one with God

Name: Gwendolyn Hansen

My friends and family are the most important things to me. And the companionship and love you get from other people.

I think that spirituality goes on and off, but I try to make it something very important in my life. To me, it means a closeness to God, mostly. Having a belief in a higher power, having some kind of control. I don't know what I would do if I didn't believe that there was a God who could help me out, who just knows what is going on and has a plan. Even when I think something is really messed up, it helps a lot to know that God is there, and that He is not going to let anything get out of hand.

I try to work things out through prayer. I don't do it as often as I would like to. I enjoy prayer, though. Prayer is important. I pretty much see it as just a private, intimate moment with God. I usually pray alone. I'm not very comfortable praying with other people – there are very few people with whom I am willing to share something so intimate and so private. To me, prayer is just me one-on-one with God, just opening my soul and seeing where the conversation goes. I try to reflect the love that God has for all of His children, including me, and to take the love and the compassion that He has given me and show them to other people around me. I try to just be what God would want me to be. But it's hard sometimes.