Born and raised in a conventional Christian family in Dubai, I grew up with religion being an integral part of my identity. My family would never miss a single church service held every Friday morning (since Friday was the public holiday in UAE, instead of Sunday). So it wasn’t too surprising that my grandmother gifted me a Holy Bible for my tenth birthday. She assured me that it was the most precious gift anyone could ever give me. Being that young, I didn’t take my grandma seriously because I was more interested in getting fun presents like video games.

Three years ago, when my parents first told me that it was time for me to continue my education in America, I was a little taken aback as this meant that I had to move to New York, all by myself. It was one of the hardest few months of my life as I had to mentally prepare myself for the transition. It was during this time that I found solace in reading my Bible. It gave me a sense of hope that completely changed my perspective on life.

While reading it, I came across the encouraging story of Abraham. God told Abraham to “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s household for the land that I will show you (Genesis 12:1).” Abraham had so much faith in God’s plans for him that he didn’t question anything and obediently did as he was told. This story totally changed the way I saw my migration, as I started believing that this was all part of God’s plan for me. If Abraham had no idea where he was going and still went to a foreign land just because God told him to, I can move to New York too. My mind was able to think more positively about moving into my uncle’s house in Long Island, without my parents.

However, now I had to be more independent and take care of myself, much like a responsible adult. This helped me gain a lot of maturity in the way I approached life and took various decisions, because I was finally forced to step out of the “wings” of my parents. But in the beginning, there were many times when I would get frustrated because I missed Dubai and all my friends back home. In all the daily struggles that came with adjusting to my new home, new school, and new friend circles, I would constantly look back to my Bible for hope and renewal. I made sure reading it was part of my morning and night routine, and this was unlike anything I had done before. It continued to influence the way I went about every single day in high school, as I looked to examples in the Bible when I was faced with any challenge or uncertainty. I found myself constantly asking the question “What would *insert name of bible character* do in this situation?” This continual process made the bible a part of my identity because, knowingly or unknowingly, I was making many of my life choices and decisions based on what I read. To this day, I continue to read the Bible as part of my daily routine because it is one way in which I mentally edify myself.

Nine years down the road, I can confidently say that the Bible is probably the most important book that has shaped me to be the person I am today. My grandma was right as I still continue to use the same Bible she gifted me, making it the most precious present I could ever get.