How Everyday People Live Out Their Christian Faith

Illustrating how men and women display their love for Jesus in their day-to-day lives.
Little things that may have an eternal impact. Might these stories motivate you to use your talents?
  • Overcoming Obstacles Prayer Unique Ministries

    MY NEW LIFE AFTER GOING BLIND

    “What happens now? What am I going to do?” I found myself constantly asking these questions. It had been a year of painful recovery and harsh reality. After an extensive series of unsuccessful eye surgeries, I was blind. A wife, mother of three, a classroom teacher. In a matter of weeks, my life had drastically changed forever. I chose to spend the endless days sitting and praying for my family and friends, my former students, those at church, missionaries. This became my ministry when it seemed to me, at the time, I could do nothing else.  It was extremely difficult to find myself physically disabled and not able to live doing what I loved: taking care of my family and teaching. But I firmly believe in the power of prayer and continued to lift other’s burdens before the Lord. After that first year, I decided a new ‘normal’ had entered my life. My vision was no longer available to me. What was I going to do? I got up every morning and painstakingly taught myself how to relive life by touch. I cooked and cleaned, washed clothes, pretty much everything I had always done, at a much slower pace. But I decided I was going to do whatever I wanted to do. And I have. I taught myself how to crochet for those not-so-often-anymore endless days of just sitting. I make blankets and give them to those dear to my heart that I continue to pray for every day. Since I began five years ago, I have made and given away over 300 blankets and… Read More

  • Labor Unique Ministries Verbalizing the Gospel

    THROWING THE JAVELIN FOR HIM

    God gave me an unusual platform and I intend to use it for Him as much as I can. I throw the javelin, a gift I didn’t even know I had until college. And I’ve been blessed to compete in three different Olympic Games. I’ve worked incredibly hard on refining my skills and I practice every day to the best of my ability. Yet my identity is not attached to a number on a scoreboard; rather, it is found in Christ. I just do the best that I can and glorify God in that. When people see me, I want them to see Jesus shining through me. I’m just a vessel who has been given this unique gift. I can see how God was molding me into His vessel throughout my life. When I was in kindergarten, I broke my femur and chipped a growth plate, leaving doctors wondering if my leg would ever grow again. But my parents found a doctor who helped me overcome these setbacks. Growing up in a small town, I played every available sport in school: volleyball, basketball and different track events. Javelin wasn’t even an event in Nebraska high school track. When I went to college, I competed in the heptathlon and one coach noticed how much I excelled at one of the events, the javelin, even though I had no formal training. He convinced me to concentrate on that event. And in just 3 1/2 years, God game me the skills to become the NCAA National Champion, Collegiate Record Holder and make it to the 2016 Rio… Read More

  • Loving Your Neighbor

    REALLY SEEING AND HEARING PEOPLE

    Recently, someone asked me, “How do you show the love of Jesus on a daily basis?” I said I take the time to really see and hear people. They are not obstacles to overcome or items to check off. I stop to really see people. Like last night, at my place of employment, a woman came to me angry and frustrated. I stopped and heard her. I couldn't change the outcome of the situation, but I could hear and validate her frustration. It ended in me hugging and holding her. Nothing changed in her circumstance, but everything changed in her because she was seen and experienced someone truly paying attention to her. At the end of that shift, one of my coworkers belittled me for how I handled the situation. I explained that seeing and hearing the person was my gift. I have a softer, mild, compassionate approach. But my coworkers’ gift may be different because God purposefully made them different. They may be very straightforward, their words hitting you between the eyes. Both tactics have their place, but we must each flow within our own gift. She agreed and, thankfully, my managers also backed me up. I have learned one of the challenges of truly loving others is staying filled up. Galatians 6:9 tells us “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good…”. This can be hard because people are like emotional rollercoasters. They move from harsh, struggling and in pain; to gentle, vulnerable and open for healing. Thankfully, my degree in Occupational Therapy and my experience working for several organizations which help… Read More

  • Hospital Overcoming Obstacles Unique Ministries

    SAY I WON’T

    Life is not easy as a quadruple amputee. But I have never doubted God and if I can be an inspiration to just one person and lead them to a relationship with Jesus, then this has all been worth it. On New Year’s Eve of 2019, I came down with the flu. Over the next few days, my health worsened and I was rushed to the hospital. I developed a blood infection; then went into cardiac arrest and septic shock which started to cause organ failure. I actually flatlined for over seven minutes. By the grace of God, a cardiac surgeon was nearby and began working to save me. Doctors performed a five-hour surgery to get my lungs and heart working again. I went into a coma for 10 days and the surgeon said it was a longshot that I’d survive. But I did. I left the hospital after 107 days, but I did so without my limbs. The blood infection caused them to start deteriorating when I was in the coma. Doctors had to amputate my arms just below the elbows and my legs just under the knee joints. When I was fighting for my life in the hospital, I clung to two verses, both from the Book of Job. The first was Job 1:21. “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” I reflected on how much God had given me throughout my life. Now He was taking away. So I felt led to praise Him even in this difficult time. As a result,… Read More

  • Children Mentoring Overcoming Obstacles

    ON RIVER TIME

    I was sexually abused multiple times as a six-year-old child. As a young boy, I was confused, shameful and guilt ridden. I didn't say anything to anyone. Even as an 11 year old kid, I recalled standing at the doorway of my mom and dad's room, determined to say something, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was overcome by shame, guilt, and a fear that often comes with abuse. I bottled it up. For decades. But as an adult, I kept having the same recurring nightmare and finally got myself into counseling. For the first time, I broke down and those painful memories were finally verbalized. What people might not understand about abuse victims is that believing it wasn't your fault does not come easily or quickly; it's a process of forgiveness and self-reflection that usually happens in silence. For me, that happened on a river as I was fly fishing at age 38. I loved the serenity of fly fishing and found it to be the perfect place to talk to God. And it was on that river where He and I finally worked out all my demons. So many people go through painful experiences and don't do anything with those experiences. But God showed me that He wanted me to do something impactful with this pain. I didn’t know what that might be, so I prayed and gave it all to God. He led me to do two things. The first was to write a book about my experience called Picking Butter Beans. It allowed me to… Read More

  • Children Overcoming Obstacles

    SPIRITUALLY GUIDING MY FAMILY

    I grew up in a household where my father worked hard to provide for our household because he grew up with that value of being financially stable. My father would come home tired from work, so I have just a handful of memories when my father interacted with me. When I was 11, my parents told me and my siblings that they were separating, and my dad wouldn't be around anymore. I remember going up to my room, crying and praying that God would fix this. God never brought my parents back together, but my dad still tried to connect with us the only way he knew how: by providing. My father bounced around jobs in different states, making a six-figure salary per year, but over the years, my father struggled with depression and alcohol. And the financial stability started to crumble. When my father moved back near us, we spent more time together, and I learned the main reason for the divorce was over the thing he had focused so hard on providing: money. Before the divorce, my mother would stay home, while my father worked. This helped me create a strong relationship with my mother, but one where my father wasn't around to be the home's spiritual pillar. My mother tried to fill that void the best she could, but it still lacked my father. Today, the relationship with my father is still one where I don't see much of him, but since I had my own child four months ago, I have begun to see more of the love God… Read More

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