Some of my core childhood memories stem from my family’s regular Sunday and Wednesday attendance at church. I believed going to church to be a societal norm, the same way going to school or going grocery shopping was what everybody in our small, rural town did. After high school, I moved to Minneapolis for the University of Minnesota only to have a really rough first couple of years floundering with friendships and struggling to feel like I was where I should be. During a Sophomore year semester abroad in Florence, Italy, I was in an Art History course where we were weekly studying biblically-based artwork in person. Through that class, Jesus sparked a curiosity to know more. I downloaded a bible app on my iPad and started reading at random. The Lord chased me down in my lonely homestay room in Florence to start the journey of walking with Him.
He reminds me regularly of His vast artwork on display through His gifts of my beautiful bride, our precious (and chaotic) children, and the deep friendships He’s surrounded me with. The constants of His grace, mercy, and love have become the cornerstone of God taking that random, lonely bible opening and orchestrating the highs and lows of my story in pursuit of knowing Him more.
