Storytime!

October 6, 2021

With Homecoming weekend here and with CFAW quickly approaching at the end of this month it makes me reflect on some memorable moments from a past CFAW. As students, we tend to look at CFAW as or an event like Homecoming as a plague that will make it harder to find parking, longer lines at Garbanzo, and constantly hear the words “Rebar-Thomas Dinning Hall. All jokes aside, CFAW is such a unique opportunity given to us.

I think back to a time when I met a specific family visiting for CFAW last semester in the Spring. To protect their privacy, we will say the mom’s name is Misty and the daughter’s name was Kaylee. As I was working a coffee promotion shift for my job this mom and daughter introduced themselves as I offered them some coffee. This was pretty standard, and I did not think anything of it. I asked where they were from as they answered Charlotte. They returned me with the same question. Now I had answered this about 500 times that day saying the city in which I was from. Before I could even think I said, “I live not too far from Hanging Rock State Park”.  I immediately thought to myself, “what in the world was that? You’re like 30 mins from there”. To my surprise, Misty and Kaylee just looked at me and began to cry. With confusion and comfort, I looked back at them and began to apologize for anything I may have said that would provoke these tears. Kaylee looked back at me and apologized and began to explain how her cousin had a hiking accident at this mountain. The year prior, Andrew had fallen off the mountain and was rushed to the hospital. They explained how Andrew was now paralyzed from the chest down and began to cry again. At this point I began to tear up and then I emphasized how sorry I was. I then tried to relate to them and explained how a good friend of mine had a similar experience around the same time as Andrew’s accident. The summer before my friend Mark had a swimming pool diving accident that has left him paralyzed from the waist down.

By now, the three of us are teary eyed because of the pain we all had felt in the past year as we watched people we love suffer from such difficult situations. Seconds go by, then suddenly Misty looks at me and asks if Mark was sent to Shepherd Center for his rehab. My glossy eyes looked up as I said “Yes! That’s exactly where he was sent! But how do you know about Shepherd Center?”. She then exclaimed, that Andrew was sent to Shepherd Center for his therapy as well!

I just couldn’t believe that Andrew from Winston Salem, North Carolina and Mark from Memphis, Tennessee both ended up in Atlanta, Georgia at Shepherd Center. Both these cities stretch over 300 miles away from Atlanta in opposite directions.

As I processed what God was obviously doing, I watched as Misty’s eyes filled with life. “I have held such a heavy weight for my family, and you are one of the only that understands what it is like to be on this side of this trauma”, said Misty. She began to explain how she has been strong for her family and how God has still been so faithful in her life and in the life of Andrew. Speechless I responded by asking her if I can pray for her and Kaylee and for the recovery process for Andrew and Mark.

After praying, this mom and daughter looked up at me with tear filled eyes and just simply say, “Thank you”. Misty then expressed how God has made her feel seen in her struggles and that she needed to have this conversation.

It was at this moment I realized that God had used this in my life as well. As I watched them walk away, I recalled a prayer from the day before when I asked God to confirm my call to ministry. This was the moment; this was the confirmation! It flooded my thoughts and emotions, and I realized my call was confirmed through this woman and her daughter. I realized that God was confirming my call to help and remind others of the faithfulness of God. He had given me the words to speak even when I did not know what to say.

I say all of this so we, as the student body, remember to never miss an opportunity to open ourselves up to talk with others. What seemed to just be another coffee promotion shift became a ministry opportunity and a life-giving conversation. As we continue to put on events and as students continue to visit for CFAW we should look for opportunities to pour into a family or take the opportunity to have a deep conversation. You might be surprised what could come out of the conversation. Who knows, maybe they could be a blessing to or maybe you can be a blessing to them? The only way to know is by stepping out of your comfort zone and stepping away for the normality of everyday life and investing into a meaningful conversation.

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