My Testimony For Crew

Recap

We have been making our way through this series called “DEEP” with the goal to grow stronger, more confidents, and deeper in our relationship with God. So far, some of the things we have seen God use to grow our faith are

Our actions

Other people

Our service- if you remember from last week, we looked at to see a few things. 1) God uses our actions to grow our faith, but 2) God has given us gifts so that we can take them and serve others. We even had a challenge based on what God showed us in . That challenge was to pray and ask God to show us how we can use our gifts in order to bring Him glory.

Did anyone take on that challenge

This morning we are going to continue this series with the same desire for God to grow our faith in Him. This is a challenge because we are going to ask God to grow our faith in Him by using something that we don’t like all that much. As a group, we are going to look at the story God has given us and ask this question: “God, how do you want to use the story you have given me to help me grow DEEPER in my relationship with you?”

Prayer:

I

My Story:

As we get into this morning thinking about the story God has given us, I wanted to start by sharing my story with you. I have grown to enjoy sharing my story because God uses our stories, our victories, our mistakes, and even our hard times to take us DEEPER and DEEPER into a relationship with Him.

I’ll start by going way back. I’m originally from the south. I was born in small town in southern Virginia.

Do we have anyone from the south in CREW this morning?

I have an older brother and we were raised by our mom. When my mom was pregnant with me she found out that my dad was not a really great guy. He actually had 2 OTHER FAMILIES. It was like he had 3 wives and 3 different sets of kids and he was lying to everyone about all of it. Wehn my mom found out about it she talked to him, he lied, then he left and never came back. BUT Let me tell you something. My mom was incredible! I kind of think of her like a super hero because she raised me and my brother all by herself. I didn’t know my dad at all growing up, but to be honest with you, I never really noticed that since my mom was so awesome. My mom worked really heard so she could send us to a Christian school and learn a lot about God. Even up into the 4th grade I didnt really wonder so much about my dad. I never felt like I was missing out because my mom was so awesome.

One day, one fo my 4th grade friends said:

“Hey Grant, I have never met your dad” I responded and said “hmmm. You know what, I never have either.”

When I was almost 11 years old, I went to a small town carnival with some of my family. We had such a blast riding all kinds of carnival rides. Just so y’all know, I LOVE all types of roller coasters and rides. My brother and I sat down on one of the rides that day, it went upside down and crazy and we got off all dizzy and giggly and as I walked away accidentally bumped into a man so I apologized and kept walking.

Later when I was older, my family I was with at the carnival told me this story and heres is what they said. I found out that one of the people who I sat beside of on a carnival ride was one of my dads other kids from another one of his families. And the man that I accidentally bumped into as I got off that ride WAS MY DAD!! I had no idea what he even looked like.

After he realized that his own son didn't recognize him, he thought we should meet. So he got in contact with my mom and set up a time for us to meet one day.

Cancer:

About a year after that, my mom found out that she had stage 4 colon cancer. As a young guy, I didn't really know exactly what that meant, but I knew my mom and I knew that nothing would stop her! She began going to the doctor a lot. she had many surgeries, radiation treatments, and she had to take all kinds of medicine. Not long after my mom starting fighting this cancer, my dad decided he wanted to try and take me and my brother from my mom so he sued my mom to try to take us away. Think about that, your mom is fighting for her life and someone tries to come in and take away what she loves most!? We just felt so confused.

My dad lost the court case, but the cancer fight was still going strong. After fighting hard for about 4 years, my mom finished all her treatments and had one big final surgery. That surgery was to remove a grapefruit sized cancerous tumor in one of her lungs. The week finally came for us to go back to the doctor and we were got ready to hear all the good news that the cancer was all gone.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE NIGHT BEFORE THAT HOSPITAL VISIT. My mom and I stayed up late, sitting up in her bed talking about life after cancer. We laughed in excitement for hours about all that we would be able to do together after she was all better.

So that day finally came. We went back to the doctor for the last time. the doctors came in, sat down, and said:

The surgery went great. we got what we went in there for, but there is some bad news. We have checked and it turns out that the cancer has spread throughout your entire body. It is everywhere now.

This was really hard to hear. We went into the doctor’s office expecting to hear that has healthy, but found out that it was worse than it had ever been.

My mom was always so positive through the whole thing. She even stayed positive when we got that bad news. She kept a big smile on her face and said “WELL LETRS JUST KEEP DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES. WHATS NEXT?” The DOCTORS said something that changed everything from that point on. They said “I AM SORRY MRS. TODD, BUT THERE IS NOTHING ELSE WE CAN DO. YOU ACTUALLY DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT TO LIVE.

Hearing about this awful news, my aunt and uncle who lived across the country here in California moved into a new house. The plan was, since my mom had become too sick to work that we would live with them so that the last little while my mom had here could be with family.

So that is what we did. We moved from Virginia to southern California. After living in California for about a year, my mom’s health was really bad off. she was in a bed most of the time. The doctors let us know that she really was not doing very well. At that point she was in the hospital at all times so the doctors could keep her alive. While we were visiting my mom one night in the hospital, I sat there by her bed holding her hand. At this point she was unconscious most of the time. She lay there asleep as I held her hand there was not much conversation going on. It was a quiet, nervous room filled with people who love each other and loved my mom. You could hear that heart monitor machine as it beeped indicating that my mom was still alive. Every beep was a heart beet. You just heard beep, beep, beep. Sitting there that nigth. my moms hands got really cold and we heard that machine go beep, beep, beep, beeeeeeeeeep. That was it. the doctors came in to let us know that my mom officially passed.

I will never forget how I felt there that night. As I was holding my moms hand and she passed away there in front of us. There were a few things going through my head. I felt almost like everything was falling apart before my eyes. We left the room that night and it would be that last time I ever saw my mom.

I had so many questions because I felt so confused. I didn't understand why things in life could be so hard and I definitely didn't feel like I new how to go on without my mom. A few days later, my grandpa preached at my moms funeral. While towards the end of his sermon he looked down at me and my brother adn what He said next stuck with me in a big way. He said Everything in your life that you go through like this will do one of 2 things.

It can Make you bitter

It can make you better

For quite some time after that, I recieved many verses and kind notes from family and friends. God used a few of those verses over and over in my life one of them is

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who i have been called according to his purpose.

This verse did not answer all my questions, but it certainly answered one major question.

When I wondered “God, what are you doing in all this?

something good

What are you making of my life with a father who doesn't love me

something good

What are you doing when my world feels like its spinning

something good

What are you working out in the death of my mom?

something good.

On that side of all of it I had to put my faith in God that He was working all this out for my good and His glory, but now I can look back and see all the ways that He used it.

When I had questions about my life, God showed me in His word that He has a plan for me.

I know that we dont all have the same story, but we do all have hard things in our lives from time to time.

Main point:

GOD WANTS TO USE OUR HARD TIMES TO DEEPEN OUR FAITH IN HIM!!!!!