High School Blog
Peyton Ryan’s Story
Peyton, tell us what your life was like when you were younger.
Growing up, I didn’t have many “friends.” I had people who knew me, but I never went out and played with other kids. I always felt like an outcast until about the seventh grade where some real long lasting friends came along. That was when I really started to come out of my shell.
What happened at that time that changed things?
At the end of seventh grade my parents told me they were getting a divorce. This was devastating because I always thought my home life was perfect. I had never seen them fight, we went to church every Sunday; it just didn’t seem real.
How did your parent’s divorce affect you?
It turned my life upside down. I was living in constant worry and anxiety that was crippling me for the longest time. So as summer rolled around, I needed to find something that I could do. My mom suggested working at the West Side YMCA.
Sounds like a cool job! What did you do at the YMCA?
As I began working there, I became good friends with two little guys named Jaylen and Owen. Jaylen was a non-verbal autistic, and Owen had Down Syndrome. They were lots of work, but they taught me how to grow up.
What was it like working with them?
I spent most of my time wrangling Jay. When I first met him, I thought there’s no way this kid is going to enjoy this summer. He would just sit on the bench by himself twiddling two spoons.
Is that how Jay spent his whole summer?
One day I was shooting a basketball when I looked over at him and saw him clapping, jumping up and down, and pointing up at the goal wanting me to shoot again. That’s when the light bulb went on in my head. I could help make this kid’s summer great. We spent the summer going on field trips and swimming in the pool with the other kids. Jay taught me so many things about responsibility and growing up.
Other than working, did you do anything else last summer?
I also went to summer camp with the youth group. On Wednesday, Dustin George gave his message and during worship, God truly broke me. I heard Him speak to me for the first time in my life. After the song was over, Justin Crisp and I began talking. I began to tell him about my summer, and how God had just told me He wanted me to be a Special-Ed teacher. Justin told me that his mother had been a Special-Ed teacher for a long time. God used Justin to help affirm what He told me that night.
After hearing so clearly from God, how did you respond?
I needed God back in my life desperately, and I needed to show everyone that the old me was gone. I was baptized that week at camp. God poured out his mercy on me when I didn’t deserve it. I’m so thankful for that. I’m letting him in my life so much more now than I ever have. That’s basically my testimony. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be “mercy”, because I surely got some when I didn’t deserve any.
Perspective
This past week I attended my great grandmother’s funeral. She was a Christian so the service was sweet and hopeful of seeing Granny in heaven some day. I got to thinking about how fast life goes. Some people live to be 97 while others never have their 8th birthday. Simple moments pass by quicker than you think. Spring Break is over, freshman year is over, your childhood is gone, people move away, relatives pass away. The goodbye’s and changes can be sad and depressing. I tend to keep the moments by making them never end. I will hold on to the blessings in my life, like I deserve them. I was reminded what God has to say during this time of transition.
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.” Matthew 16:25
The more I hold on to this life, the more it is lost. If my complete focus and devotion is on Jesus Christ, then He promises blessings in heaven and during this life too. If I’m more concerned with my own life and self centered on myself, then the quicker my life flies by. God desires me to give up my own will, my version of what I want my life to be, and let Him take control. We can’t always understand God’s way when life seems like an emotional roller coaster. Except, I’m continually reminded that when I surrender daily to God my life, I then am able “to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God,” (Romans 12:2). God gives us the blessings in our lives in the first place, so who are we to get angry at God for taking them away? He has a plan. Why question Him?
It’s difficult to not worry and be content about what the future may bring. The Bible teaches in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This encouraged me because the Bible gave me almost a formula of what to do when I worry. PRAY. If I pray to God presenting my petition or request, with a thankful heart; then He promises to give me His peace which will guard my heart (emotions, fears), and mind (thoughts, doubts) in the name of Jesus Christ.
No matter how great of an experience we had at a camp or event, or how much of an impact and significance that happened in one night, we must move on. I reflect on moments of great importance as battles conquered or happiness achieved. But the battle moves on. Psalm 30:5 says, “...weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning.” With a new day comes new battles, opportunities, adventures, and people. We have been authorized to move forward by the Commander in impacting our world by Jesus Christ. So advance!
“...forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
Him for Him
This morning I rose from sleep with a very tormented spirit. Even now I am fighting back the evil thoughts of the enemy. As I read through the Psalms I poured out my heart to God, as if my afflicters were right on my tail. The weight of the world was upon my shoulders, or so I thought. Then, as I neared the end of study time, I landed on Psalm 6 and some welcoming words from my Father in Heaven.
“Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.” (v. 8)
Then, with the turn of a page…
“The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.” (v. 9-10).
My initial thought was, “God, I just need some grace right now. I need some unmerited favor.”
Then I turned to Romans 5:8, which says…
“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
I cannot put a price on His grace and He is teaching me that the only response to grace He accepts is a sacrifice of thanksgiving. A heart of praise. A mind to continually seek Him and pursue His heart.
The only thing He wants is me.
When was the last time I could say that that was my thought process? That I thought about and prayed to Him continually all day? When I pulled out my guitar and praised Him just for Him? When I got up and read not for direction and discernment but just for Him? I find myself in a different boat than the average Christian but still tied up to the shore.
