As I await my upcoming college graduation, I can't help but think about where I've been, and where I'm going. I also can't help thinking about all the people I wanted to get to know, or maybe those who wanted to get to know me better, but didn't get the chance to do so. I hope that this little, or kinda big, post will shed some light on parts of my life that people may not have gotten the chance to hear about.
When I think about who I am, there seems to be a few categories that I believe have significantly helped shape who I am today. It's things like my environment, my family, my closest friends, and my faith.
The environment you are raised in has a great impact on who you become. I was raised in a small town in Iowa called Aplington. There were 7 of us total in my family, including my parents. I fell right in the middle of the 5 kids. Growing up in a small community, everybody knows just about everybody. This was definitely a blessing and a curse. It was a curse because you knew someone was always watching no matter what, which meant rumors could spread very quickly. It was a blessing because it was a way to easily be kept accountable. I had lots of opportunities to fall off the right path and start doing crazy stuff, but I knew there always people watching and I never wanted to disappoint my parents, or my pastor, or my youth pastor. Those people had a pretty large impact on my faith journey that will be touched on later. The biggest benefit about growing up in a small town, for me, was the sports. I never had to try out for a team, and it was pretty much expected that if you were a semi-athletic guy, you would be playing multiple sports during your high school career. I had the chance to play football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and volleyball. Those experiences alone taught me so much about myself, life, and sports of course. Being exposed to that many sports during high school was exciting and has given me the knowledge to coach some of those sports to other individuals. Sports are a big part of my life, and without that experience of living in a small town and being able to experience so many different sports was a priceless experience for me.
I have been blessed with an amazing family who have persevered through some excruciating times. I know for a fact that the example of faith that my parents have shown me over the course of my life is the reason that our family is who we are today. The faith that my parents have displayed to my family and to our church is by far the strongest and most enduring faith I have yet to experience in my life. Their strength to continue on during troubling times gives me hope and strength for when things don't pan out just right for me. My older sister has also been a large impact on my faith journey. Her life and how she has responded to tragedy and stepped up in my life as guide is a testament to just the kind of person she really is. I would challenge anyone to find someone more loving and caring than my sister.
I'm pretty sure I have the best friends in the whole world. I know that everybody probably thinks that their friends are better, but it's just simply not true. These friends that I'm talking about are basically like a second family for me. The McCauleys. Some of you will know who they are because you've met them, and some of you have maybe just heard stories of them that I have told, and for some of you, this may be the first time you've heard their name mentioned by me. The fact is, The McCauley family has changed my life in ways that I can't even describe here...maybe that will be another post sometime. I'm sitting here writing this and thinking about how much they have impacted my life and I can't stop the water works from flowing. Just from a faith standpoint, I can confidently say that they are single handily responsible for where I am today, and who I am in Christ. They stepped up every single time my family failed to do what was necessary. They gave me opportunities I could have never experienced on my own. They helped me to understand my calling into ministry. I owe my life and so much more to this family. They are my best friends and my second family.
All of these things combined have brought me to be who I am today, and where I have been, as well as where I am going. My environment, my family, and my closest friends. They have been key factors in helping me to build my faith and understand my calling. One of my coaches used to ask us where we were from. Our response was to say our school, as a school pride kind of thing. For me, where I'm from isn't just based on location. Anybody who has known me for 2 minutes knows that I haven't stayed in the same spot since graduating from high school. I've traveled and experienced new places and people. Those experiences and people as well as the people in my past and in my present define who I am. It's often hard to be proud of being from small town Iowa, where not much of anything significant really happens; but I have decided to answer that question with the experiences and people who have shaped my life to put me where I am today, and to encourage me in my next steps.
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