I am extremely lucky. Though I don’t exactly believe in luck, so I suppose I would refer to it as being loved beyond what I deserve.

My parents divorced when I was in 3rd grade, from that point on I decided to become a rebel. I did crazy rebellious things like stealing milk out of the cooler at school and not even drinking it to prove how dangerous I was. Boys shivered with fear and envy, girls melted in the face of my rough 9 year old exterior. Thats right I was a rebel without a cause a modern day James Dean (substitute the motorcycle for a huffy). 

I was a boy filled with angst and insecurity carefully crafted by a relationship between my parents that apparently fizzled as fast as it started. The problem with starting out as a boy in this condition, is that you develop in to a young man more often than not in the same state. My crimes moved beyond stealing milk, to petty thefts, eventually drugs, and in the end, my anger helped me move out early, and abruptly. After being kicked out of my moms house, apparently the rebel thing didn’t work for her, I moved in with my Dad. 

My Dad seemed to think it would be a good idea to enroll me in a local, private, Christian school, and didn’t get to much fuss from me, I was just happy to have a place to live. He was always pretty steady in his faith and thought maybe I could use a spiritual but kicking he felt I would avoid in a public school.

It took about 9 months, but eventually I did have that awesome wonderful experience of reconciliation with Christ. Though my mom and I had re-established the lines of communication months earlier, it brought healing to allot of damaged areas in my life. It also brought the opportunity for wholeness. It didn’t happen instantaneously like tele-evangelists promise when you buy a $25 bottle of water to sprinkle on your head.

The damage was caused by 9 years of being hurt, and pissed. Taking it out on everyone around me, so it doesn’t totally make sense that it would all just disappear in a moment. Thats what we all seem to be looking for these days. Years of established life patterns instantly erased along with hurricane effects left in its wake in a single moment. But over time I have learned that that is not what Jesus promised. He promises to walk through the wreckage with you, and help you figure out how to put it all back together. And when the hurricane rears its ugly head again, He promises to be there to stand in it with you if you will let Him. This is the God that I serve. 

I am a hurricane survivor, saved by grace, currently in the process of putting it back together.

One of the greatest gifts i have received to date, other than mercy, is my future wife, Mary. She too has been through some pretty big storms in life, and found that the best one to help you figure out the mess is Jesus. She is beautiful. She is sweet. She is strong. She is courageous. She is mine. I am hers. 

We will be getting married in about 47 days. So if you are reading this and it is after October 25, we are married and she is my wife, but all the other stuff remains the same.