I was very fortunate to grow up in a christian home with two parents that believed in Christ and made sure we were in church. I was never one to break rules and always tried to do the right thing. I was very shy and tended to sit by myself. It was not until sixth grade that I finally came out of my shell and became kind of a well behaved class clown. I did develop quite the language problem and when talking to my friends I could barely go a few words without cursing. I became pretty popular due to my new demeanor and loved every minute of it.
In seventh grade my parents enrolled me and my two brothers into Mount Vernon Christian School so that my older brother could play football there. My public school attitude made me an instant hit with my classmates as they were not used to hearing the dirty jokes and filthy language I shared with them on a regular basis. This school had a great impact on my life not because of the education but the chapel services! Thank God for revival my eighth grade year. The speaker was teaching on hell and I was roasting in my seat. I realized that day that being saved was more than just going to the front in little church to pray and get that neat little book my friends received. I cried like a baby as I confessed my sins and prayed the prayer of salvation with Mr. Stancil leading me. I cried at the alter for half of the next class and had to come into class late.
Eventually I began to fall back to my old ways though. I loved God and had to pray often for forgiveness. I was still young in the faith and was in a process of growing. I don't have anything against the Baptist Church but it was hard to express myself in worship and it honestly began feeling like a routine we would go through to please God. I did not feel close to Him. I also saw some favoritism beginning to form in our youth group. My sophomore year me and my brothers left MVCS for one semester so my older brother could have scouts see him play some eleven man football. As soon as football ended we went back to MVCS.
I remember returning in the middle of a chapel services and seeing the excitement of my friends that I had missed dearly. It felt like everything was as it should be. I was wrong. My class had gotten used to me not being there and I eventually faded into the background. I was no longer part of the clique and felt very lonely. I started to become depressed and lost all self esteem. They did not realize that they were hurting me and don't hold it against them now. But at the time I felt betrayed and vulnerable. I began to resent most of the friends that I once held so dear. It was a very painful time in my life. I did manage to get a girlfriend my senior year which I thought I was in love with. I did not realize then but it was not love it was a crutch. I needed her there to help me feel wanted. That can be very dangerous and it was harmful to me in the long run. We will just say we ended on a bad note but remained friends for a few months until we just lost touch.
A few months after graduation I was checking Myspace and had a message from a beautiful girl asking if I had gone to ELCA? I responded that I had and began to form a friendship with her leading to a first date. Well I fell in love with this beautiful woman and married her within a year! I am still in love with her and get butterflies when she smiles at me! God lined up all these events to bring us together! Looking back I can see His hand every step of the way! I am so blessed!
