My History of Fathers

This is my testimony. I hope it touches your life in someway or another. It is long, but trust me, this is the extremely shortened version. There are many stories in-between that could have given you a better vision of what kind of past I have experienced, but none of that is really necessary (but if you do have any questions, feel free to message me). The important thing is that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, and this is how I came to know Him, and how He has worked in my life. Let’s rejoice in the Lord, how He is working now, how He has worked in the past, and will work in the future.

I was raised in a non-Christian home. My father was an alcoholic child abuser/ wife beater. Numerous times, me and my mother would be beaten after my father came in from having one too many beers. Thankfully, my younger brother (who is 1 ½ years younger than me) never had to experience any of this pain.

My mom eventually left him, but only to marry a less abusive man (who had two sons). My step-father was extremely verbally abusive, but much less physically abusive.

My first steps in a church happened one Sunday when my parents wanted to kick me and my brothers out of the house. They dropped us off at a local Pentecostal church and picked us back up when it was over. This happened for about a year. I eventually got older and decided I didn’t like the church, and I asked my parents if I could go to the church across the street from our house. I went to that church for a couple months until I gave up church all together, due to not fitting in anywhere.

In the seventh grade, I made a friend by the name of Jeremy Shaull. Jeremy was, and still is, the goofiest looking guy I had ever seen (to be honest… lol) However, he had a heart of gold and was the most loyal friend a guy could ask for. I started hanging out with Jeremy and he eventually invited me to come to church with him. He attended FBC Cyril, at the time. I really did not like the idea of church at all, but I gave it a try a couple times.

Summer came around, and I had been going to church off and on. One day Jeremy came up to me and invited me to go to church camp with him. I didn’t want to go, but the church offered to pay my way. So I went to Falls Creek for the first time in my life. During the week I saw something I had never seen before. I saw a spiritual atmosphere where God was moving constantly, I saw people who actually cared for me, and I saw the spirit of God move in me for the first time. In the later part of the week, I was on my way back to the cabin after getting me a couple icee’s (you know one isn’t gonna be enough with me… lol), and a couple of people stopped to talk to me. They started off by asking me the question: “Do you know where you would go if you died today?” Of course I didn’t know, but I said that I hope I go to heaven. They then asked me how I knew that and if I had ever accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It came down to me realizing that I had sin in my life (which would result in my eternal death), Jesus had paid for my sin, and that I had an extreme need for Him in my life. On that day I met the third father figure to come into my life, but the first true and loving Father for me to ever meet, the Creator of all things, God. As for the people who shared the gospel with me, I haven't seen them since.

I continued to go to church at FBC Cyril for the next 7 years. During that time, I met the closest thing I have ever had to an earthly father, who came into my life 2 ½ years after my salvation. His name was Casey King, and he moved from Guymon, OK to Cyril to be the Youth/Music Minister of FBC Cyril. He was the first person to ever disciple me and teach me how to live a biblical life.

I continued on with my journey with Christ, but still found myself struggling with many things in my life. My brothers had started to come to church, but my parents didn’t. The negative influence from them was a huge controlling factor in my life, but through many trials God set me free from that.

In my first year of college, I began to slowly drift away from God. I no longer had my youth minister to watch over me, or my youth group at home for fellowship. To be honest, I didn’t even feel like I could relate with any Christians on campus. I went to the BSU for a while, but eventually stopped going. This continued until I met another true father-like/ older brother figure, by the name of Riley Prather (Riley was my F.I.S.H. dad in the BSU). Riley took me under his wing, devoted time to listening to me, and advised me in some of the most important things in life. Honestly, if God hadn’t had put him in my life I prolly wouldn’t be where I am today. All this led up to me finally submitting to God’s calling to ministry on my life, and my continual pursuit of that.

Since then, I have grown a lot, spiritually (not to say I am a whole lot better, but that God has taken me a long ways from where I once was, and the old times are almost hard to even remember). I have had many ups and downs (more downs than ups), but I haven’t given up. I continually find out more about the Christian-life, more about the God who loves me and desires to use me in His work, and more about the ministry we all have as Christians (to know Christ, and make Him known). Looking back, I couldn't see my life being written any other way. God has blessed me huge in my lifetime. What makes me even more grateful is that the God i serve has shown His power in the way He can take something so painful, sorrowful, and all around messed up (such as my childhood and life up until now), and turn it into something that beautifully glorifies Him, and all that He is. I can't even stress enough how amazing it is for God to take someone so messed up, and still let His light shine on that person, and in that persons life.