Jocelyn grew up attending a Pentecostal church with her family. From a young age, she liked attending church. But she felt as if she never fit in—there was no one her age there besides her sister. 

When Jocelyn was 10-years-old, she accepted Christ at a church camp. Jocelyn described her encounter as an overwhelming sense of God’s presence. 

But growing up, Jocelyn attended a local Christian school, where she thought that talking about Jesus, praying, and learning about Jesus was more of a chore than a choice because of the structure and routine at her school. With that, she often felt as if she was going through the motions. Eventually, her faith became lukewarm. 

In 2017, she met Miram, her best friend, who introduced her to The Salvation Army—and a different perspective of faith. It is not often you meet someone who is full of joy and a beacon of light. Miram was different than Jocelyn; she genuinely wanted to spend time with Jesus. She showed Jocelyn that Jesus should always be our first choice, and that it is a privilege to meet with Jesus and a joy to be in relationship with Him. 

Jocelyn sensed the lukewarmness within her being challenged. Miram even confronted Jocelyn about her walk with Christ and reminded her that Jesus is not a chore and should not feel like one, but is a person we get to choose. But Jocelyn continued to resist. She became stuck in her own comfort, in what was easy, and in what she could control. 

One day, Miram texted the group chat  she shared with Jocelyn and others, and said, “I need friends who are going to point me back to Christ and I don’t think they are you guys.” Receiving this text opened Jocelyn’s eyes and, in that moment, Jocelyn felt the presence of the Lord calling to her: “What else more do you need from me?  What more of a sign do you need to come follow me? You have everything you need.”  

Miram played a big role in helping Jocelyn back to Christ. Jocelyn had always longed to belong somewhere. Her friendships and involvement at the corps (church) filled that longing in her life. Through the programs and being around other kids her age, Jocelyn found peace and acceptance.

Today, Jocelyn serves as the ministry assistant at The Salvation Army Dayton Kroc Center and is constantly reminded of the importance of staying close to God.