TESTIMONY

September 5th, 2008

It was the worst summer of my 19-year life. What I didn’t know was the a period of dark depression would lead me to make a change God knew I so desperately needed to make.

Life had all been going my way up until the summer of 2008. I was heading into my sophomore year at Pepperdine University as the captain of an NCAA Division 1 cross country team, in a relationship with a girl I thought I was going to marry, and living my life with rose-colored glasses secured on my face. But these glasses filtered out a glaring hole - I was not pursuing a relationship with God.

Then, things started to shift. My sport of running was taken from me through injury, my girlfriend broke up with me, and my rose-colored glasses were shattered. Waves of anger, sadness, and isolation swept over me again and again. I was struggling.

On September 5, 2008, I heard God clearly speak to me. This was not a booming audible voice, but the voice of peace as He asked me, Is this the way you want your life to go? I said the most simple and painful response in return - No. The next thing I heard has changed my life forever,

Go to your room, read my word and pray.

I pulled out a Bible that I had lying around in my dormitory, cracked it open, and began to read. That year, I read through the New Testament three times. I came across verses speaking of salvation through faith and not works (Galatians 2:16), saying if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9), showing God’s love for the world (John 3:16), commanding us to love our neighbors (Matthew 22:39) and addressing eternal matters. 

The next year, I read the Old Testament twice and I found the same patient, longsuffering God of the New Testament. His grace to bring the Israelites through Egypt, his mercy displayed to King David, and his incredible love written on the beautiful and heart-breaking pages of Hosea.

After years of wanting things to go my way, I personally decided that I wanted God’s way - His perfect will. God showed me the truth.

He had a plan for my life where I had none. He had redemption for me where I deserved none. He loved me from the beginning where I felt none.

On September 5, 2008, I asked to be grafted in (Romans 11:17), to become an heir (Romans 8:17), and to be adopted as a son (Romans 8:15) - not because of my works or achievements, but because of His finished work on the cross for me (John 19:30).

Life since then…