Testimonies

“The beauty of the Gospel is forgiveness. God says that if we do not forgive others then we ourselves will not be forgiven. I am very thankful that many people I have wronged believe in those words. I went to them all and asked for forgiveness I started clearing up my wrongs.”

Many may think that when someone makes the choice to live for God that it’s all easy and good sailing from there. I cannot stress enough that when I made that decision my life became twice as hard as it was before. I now thought twice about any action I ever made, I was now having to starve my flesh and feed my spirit. Even though it took everything I had to be strong, I realized despite how strong we try to be we still end up weak which is the very reason why we need Christ in our lives and choosing to live for him was the best decision I have ever made in my life.

The following Tuesday, May 11 2010 my life would change forever. On my farm in South Dakota, I was helping my dad move a water tank from the old well to the new well we had just drilled. When we placed it where we wanted it, we lifted it up just high enough for me to crawl underneath to hook the plumbing up. That morning it rained 3 inches and the dirt we put on the one side to make the 3000lb tank level gave away and the tank slid out of the bucket onto me. I was left paralyzed from my waste down. Some day I will run again, and I am waiting patiently. But, that doesn’t mean I just sit on the couch to wait. I live everyday to glorify Jesus by choosing to take up my cross, and denying myself.

Now, I do not play baseball to show off my talents, and pray that I get drafted to the MLB like most college baseball players. I see that there is a bigger picture. Baseball is a platform for me to share the gospel. As athletes, we are held to the highest standards and are role models. We can truly have a significant impact on peoples’ lives both positively and negatively. Right now, I have an opportunity to share God’s love at an enormous, secular school. Our mascot is Sparky the Sun Devil, and I strive to be the “Sparky” for Christ. It only takes a little spark to start a wildfire.