God Met Me at the Riverfront—Discover how God meets us where we are
Growing up in church, I grew up hearing about God but did not have a deep relationship with Him. Even though I knew about Him, I did not have a reverent fear of God as I lived as a worker of iniquity for many years. My rebellious spirit at the time caused a ripple effect of irreversible events to take place in my life, which later led to a separation in my marriage—a saga I am currently still enduring.
Yet, through this challenging time, God has revealed Himself to me in ways that I struggle to put into words. I recognize Him as the loving father that He always has been, is and always will be to me and those that earnestly seek Him. What I can say about my relationship with God now is that I love Him above all things.
At the second lowest point in my life (the first being the aftermath of my mother’s suicide when I was 13) during my separation from my wife, I became suicidal and did not see a way out of the chaotic life that I was living at the time. Thankfully, I was going to therapy regularly and my therapist was able to contact crisis management to come get me. Fast forward a half hour or so after I told my wife that crisis management was coming to get me, she called my sister. Not long after my sister called me and after we greeted one another on FaceTime my nephew Khalid, who had just turned two years old a week prior, laughed in the background. When I heard the sweet innocent laugh of my nephew, I realized that this was the answer to my prayer. I believe that God has me here to bear witness for His kingdom for those he has placed in my life, and those he will place in my life.
Moving forward with life after my crisis management visit was rough. I was also preparing for knee surgery as I had torn my ACL and medial and lateral meniscus. Being an athlete and active person in general, the lack of ability I had to move was crippling in a physical and spiritual sense. Yet, God allowed me to endure the healing process of knee surgery as well as the restructuring of my soul as I sought Him more. At the time, I was into astrology, crystals, and other new age concepts that stood in the way of me developing a true relationship with God. But as time passed, I became and am becoming more convicted to grow in right relationship with God through His word.
After praying to God for some time, I could feel a shift about to take place that I knew would be exactly what I needed, even though it meant that everything would change. The beginning of the next phase in my life would begin after a brief encounter with a, now, good friend and brother in Christ of mine, Will Morton. After boxing class one Saturday afternoon, I was walking along the Wilmington Riverfront and noticed some guys evangelizing and was hoping they did not notice me. However, God clearly had other plans. As I walked by, Will handed me a tract about the story of Jesus and invitation to come to Epiphany Church of Wilmington. Since I was on my walk, I did not stop to talk, but I knew I was going to go to Church the next day. It could not have been better timing, as I was already moving up to Wilmington later that week.
Since moving to Wilmington and being a part of Epiphany Church of Wilmington, I have truly seen a supernatural change in my life. I wholeheartedly want to do as Matthew 6:33 tells us to do and “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” This verse and Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future” have become woven into the tapestry of my soul and have aided in my development as a man of God. With these verses and many more that have also become loving whispers throughout the day are forging me into the very soldier God designed me to be for Him. As I continue this path, a profound sense of peace has started to fall upon me. God is maturing me to withstand the light momentary afflictions of this world as He prepares me for something greater that will bring Him glory.
As I grow deeper in my relationship with God the verses … Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” and Isaiah 6:8 “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” … have become louder. Admittedly, I ignore them sometimes as I still battle with doubt. However, as each day passes, my desire to fulfill God’s purpose for my life intensifies.
I simply want to live a life that is pleasing to God as I die to self and move in a manner that is pleasing to Him so that He can get the glory.