“My story is God's story of redemption and how he's brought about salvation in my life to glorify him. I can look at so many different parts of my life and people that God's put in my path that have deepened my relationship with him.
“It started with my parents. I was very blessed to grow up in a home where both my parents loved Jesus and were following Jesus when they raised me. I also had the incredible opportunity to grow up attending Watermark.
“Because of that, I was surrounded by a great community of people in my parents' community and small group leaders who were constantly talking about and modeling what life with Jesus was like.
“When I was four years old, I took home a cassette tape from Watermark’s kids’ ministry and learned that I could ask Jesus into my heart and have a relationship with him. As a four-year-old who had grown up praying to Jesus and talking about Jesus, I thought that was an amazing idea. I remember asking Jesus into my heart, feeling a rush of joy, and running to tell my mom because I was so excited that God was in my life.
“My dad was on staff at Watermark, and when I became a preteen, I felt a lot of pressure to perform. A lot of people knew my dad or knew my last name, and I put pressure on myself to be a leader, be a good kid, and know my Bible.
“I enjoyed having friends and following Jesus as a young kid, but as I grew older, I started to realize in school that the things that were cool and popular were often contrary to what the Bible said. I really wanted to follow the ways of the world and do the ‘right thing’ - having it both ways. I felt very conflicted.
“Ultimately, my parents approached me when they found out that I wasn’t treating my classmates well—put-downs and gossip—and they said that these things were outside of my character. I felt like that was a big breaking point in my faith journey. I wasn’t sure following Jesus was exactly what I wanted for my life.
“My dad told me, ‘I don’t want to impose our faith on you. I want to find truth with you.’
“We spent a summer diving into theology, what the Bible says, what other religions say, and how it holds up historically. Those months showed me something surprising: the Bible is backed by real evidence, and there wasn’t the same level of support for other world views. I saw the God of the Bible as real and Jesus as a real person who existed and walked on this earth. Many witnessed him rise from the dead and were willing to lay down their lives for that fact.
“In that moment I knew what I was staring at was the truth. I knew that walking away from the truth would be walking away from God himself. I dedicated my life to Jesus to make him first and foremost, not just a hobby or one piece of my identity. I saw that in glorifying God, my life not only found its purpose but also its deepest satisfaction.
“My high school years weren’t perfect by any means, but there was a notable difference. Those years were spent with moments of sanctification, growing, and trying to lead and love people in a way like Christ would.
“Eventually, I went off to a small private college in Michigan near my dad's extended family. The first year I spent up there, I had great friends, was surrounded by family, and loved my college experience.
“But in my sophomore year, we learned of some deeply sinful acts a member of our extended family committed against the others. It was a really hard situation to walk through. I was navigating anger, forgiveness, sadness, and, for the first time, homesickness.
“Earlier in my life, I wrestled with the question, ‘Is God real?’ This season made me question ‘Is God good?’ I was watching the family I loved in a lot of pain. While I was in that season, feeling hurt and betrayed, I wrestled with understanding why God would allow that situation to happen.
“There were some moments I tried consoling my emotions through partying, but God was kind enough to meet me in my brokenness. Lamentations 3:21-24 says, ‘But this I call to mind, I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.’
“I was comforted by remembering that the source of hope is the fact that the Lord is our inheritance. God calls us his inheritance as well. There might not be clear answers to why certain bad things happen, and we might not know on this side of earth, but we can rest in the hope that we'll see God face to face, and he’ll call us his.
“In God’s kindness, I now get to serve alongside my wife in a kindergarten class with Watermark Kids, teaching kids about the goodness and faithfulness of God, just like it was taught to me. I'm just grateful for all the ways that God has been and continues to be faithful in all seasons of my life.”