I believe the world is too intricate for God not to exist. From the makeup of the universe to the
day-to-day encounters with the people in our lives, to the growth from hardship, I believe there
are invisible connections uniting us as a part of the greater universe.

As a timid 14-year-old in my scripture class freshman year, this belief consistently arose. I asked
myself the question: “How could God not exist if so many things happened when they were
supposed to, if so many events frozen in time lead up to a singular moment of redemption?” As I
flipped through the flimsy pages of my Bible, I began to see a puzzle coming together. Without
one event, or one piece of the puzzle, it would have been nearly impossible for another to
happen. The deeply rooted connections between one story and another seemed to manifest the
conclusion that it is impossible for God not to exist.

I believe that God allows certain events in our lives to happen to point us to this conclusion. We
may not understand in the moment of the event, but there is a plan that unfolds as time marches
on. In 8th grade I lost my house to a flood from a water main break right before the coronavirus
pandemic. A flood that nearly claimed the lives of my family had it not been for the short amount
of time it took for me to smell the gas from the line that broke next door. Some may call this
coincidence, but I consider it divine providence. Though frightening to look back upon, I
consider the ways in which I was spared–the ways in which a greater being allowed this event
to happen, only to create goodness from it. From living in my Pa’s house during Covid instead of
a hotel, to every single thing on our list of “wants” for the new house being answered, it became
evident that God was there every step of the way.

I believe that God uses people in our lives and the beauty of nature to make himself known to
us. There is a sense of interconnectedness among everyone in the universe and the nature we
exist within. This realization only comes when you understand that this is because we share a
creator. I experience this interconnectedness when walking by someone and feeling a strong
sense of “knowing them” without actually knowing them at all. A similar feeling occurs when
contemplating the sublime. Perhaps it is best understood as a sense of deep peace. Sometimes
it is better not to try to comprehend these truths, but just to soak them in.

Ever since Scripture class Freshman year and my personal experience of divine providence,
when I stare out at the sunrise over the mountains or the sun falling into the sea, or at the faces
of all the people who have loved me every step of the way, I can’t help but look out and tell
myself that if there’s one thing I believe it is this: The world is too intricate and beautiful for God
not to exist.