...one thing to remember is that we don't get to choose our testimony | In the summer of 2011, Buddy and I began helping with the youth group at our church. We are very passionate about working with students and striving to make a positive difference in their lives. We desire to be there for them and encourage them during a very critical and trying chapter of their lives. When Thomas was born in May 2014, our time with the youth group had to be placed on hold. Because of our situation with Thomas being in and out of the hospital, we honestly didn’t know when the time would come that we would be able to work with our students again. |
Buddy and I returned to church about two months after Thomas passed away. We made the decision to attend a life group with couples close to our age for a while. Our teachers were starting a study on Job and we believed that’s exactly what we needed. In the spring, Buddy began asking me when I thought I’d be ready to start helping with the youth again. I told him I didn’t know, and at the time I didn’t believe it would be anytime soon. I even started considering serving in a different part of the church. The reason: How could I pour into students’ lives when I wasn’t there myself, if that makes any sense? Being in deep, dark depression I knew there was no way I could invest in students’ lives. After a lot of time and prayer, God began to change things. He placed a couple of situations in front of me that really spoke to me. One in particular was watching a student completely turn his life around and give his entire being to Christ. This is a student who would ridicule Christians, and really anyone for that matter. And what he doesn’t know is that God used him to change my life. It was when I witnessed this student serving Christ and encouraging his friends for the Lord that opened my eyes. God was showing me where He wanted me, and that was with our students. I talked with Buddy about it and he was ready as long as I was. So, we told our youth pastor we would like to begin helping with the youth again in June and he was thrilled!
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