My freshman year of college was intense. It was amazing and so hard at the same time. It was hard because it was a time my body was becoming much weaker, and amazing what God did to fill me with life. I decided to attend Concordia University, a small Lutheran school. I had lots of fun meeting new people, and enjoyed my speech class. But I found life in Young Life.
My senior year of high school I met a bunch of Young Life leaders who changed my life. Young Life is an organization of college age or older people that become leaders and share the love of Jesus with high school kids. Well immediately I knew I wanted to be a leader, so I started training my first semester of college. I met many life long friends. But aside from Young Life, me, a leader Mike Prentice, and two junior guys at Saline, Steve Nelson and James Strasburg met every Sunday night for man time. It was by far my favorite time of every week. It was a time of intentionally loving each other, sharing and fighting for our hearts, and there was an exchange of life. We pursued Jesus together. It ignited fire and passion in my heart. I learned so much that year.
One Sunday night we shared what we thought what our kingdoms or destiny would be. I shared I would get married, that me and my wife would have a family and be very happy. That was basically it. I figured that because of my situation our marriage would be so special and unique. I used to dream of having my wife take care of me and me fighting for her heart, and that everyday we would be thankful for everything. There was a time I was thankful for my disease, I was confused, it taught me to depend on God, to rest, to be patient and thankful. Well after I went Mike shared his, he also wanted to get married. But that morning a lady in his church told him he would do amazing things for God. Mike shared that with us and he knew that with his wife they would do miracles and crazy stuff. When he said this it felt liked the Holy Spirit grabbed me and never let go.
Over the next year living with Mike I realized that my dream was good but it was not big enough. I realized not to value my disease but to value me. This is is still happening because I have not known life without it. I learned God is so good that he uses all for His good. He is so good that despite my disease He gave me grace to learn the lifestyle of being thankful. That dream marriage and family is going to happen, it will be special and unique but not because of my disease, because its Jesus that makes it special and real. My grid was way off. I now dream of healing the sick and raising the dead, traveling all around the word. It is our responsibility to invade the impossible.
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