Ten and a half years ago I made the single greatest decision of my life. With the direction of Pastor Sid Cottingham and my father, I found Jesus Christ to be my one and only Savior. Since that day I have dreamed of traveling to places like Somalia, China and India to spread the great news of a risen King. Trips came and went, but I never could seem to get my hands on a plane ticket because of football workouts, baseball games or travel basketball. My schedule was always packed with sports and other extracurricular activities, leaving a void in my spiritual life. I always felt as if I was not doing enough. I was not dreaming high enough or reaching my full potential like the Lord had planned for me. That all changed when I moved to Jacksonville State University (JSU) to play ball.
‘What am I doing here?’
Moving away from “momma” was very tough for me. But leaving my church in Cullman was twice as hard. I had made lifelong friends and accountability partners I could rely on every day to see me through. Let me add that JSU was not my first choice. I had dreams and opportunities to play football in the SEC. But after spending one day on the Jacksonville campus I could feel the Lord pulling on my heartstrings to come here. So I did, having no clue what I was getting into. Soon summer workouts, two-a-day practices and many meetings began and I was in way over my head. I remember lying in my bed countless nights asking myself, “What am I doing here?” After weeks of prayer and fellowship I finally figured it out. I was here for discipline and discipleship.
I was not in a foreign country that persecuted Christians. I was not confined to a basement for preaching. I was stranded in a college environment full of sin and trials. I found it very hard to bring up my faith in any part of my weekly schedule. Then I bumped into a red-headed man at the end of football practice passing out popsicles. Hellos turned into conversations, conversations turned into meetings and meetings turned into Bible studies. (Continued…)
Read the rest of the story as originally posted at: http://www.thealabamabaptist.org/print-edition-article-detail.php?id_art=34592
by Dogwood