Saturday, February 19, 2011

Switching Trails

New people step into my life daily. The predictability of the way these people could change my life is not known until later. However, every person I meet has a chance to change the way I think about my life. It is the people who change other lives that I really respect. These such stories are some of the best I have ever heard.

    One such person who has had his life changed for the better is my pastor (we will call him P for the purposes of this blog). P grew up in Oklahoma and was total red neck. He played football for his high school and that was pretty much what he surrounded his life on. P didn't believe in God, in fact he thought that the people who went to church were just plain stupid. In the town P grew up in he made many bad decisions. P didn't respect his peers and quite frankly thought he was the hot shot of the school.

    As P grew older he received a full ride scholarship to the University of Nebraska to play football. Many people believed he would make it big time and even possibly to the NFL someday. The more P played, the worse his knees got. It wasn't until his 5th surgery that the doctor told him he would no longer be able to play football anymore. His entire world was crushed.

    At this very time, someone stepped into his life. They were two people that lived in his dorm that decided to confront him and introduce him to God. P took pride in the fact that he had never known God. He told his football team he had been to church five times – twice for weddings and three times for funerals. But the two people who stepped into P's life, changed his mind. Mesmerized by the stories and the power of God, P began going to church. He changed his own world around for the better.

    With bad legs and a football career behind him, P had to make some decisions for his future. Due to the power of God that was brought into his life, P decided to become a pastor. Through a path of twists and turns and switching trails, P is currently the youth pastor at my church. After having a long discussion with P the other night, I realized something. Blowing his knee out for the 5th time was the best thing that ever happened to him. He is now the best pastor I have ever had. He is entertaining, and I truly believe he is part of the reason teenagers who wouldn't normally go to church are still coming.

    As I try to do community service projects in my community, I realize what a large factor my pastor plays in helping others. To say the least, he has changed the lives of many. If it wasn't for the two men in his dorm who saw potential in him, for something other than his athleticism, P wouldn't have made the impact he has made in those lives. Someday I hope to meet someone who opens my eyes up to a hidden talent, currently blinded from my view.

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