Jonah's Story

I was joyfully content. The previous week was Fall Break, and I had traveled with my youth group to the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky. It was a gloriously exhausting trip. I delighted in the opportunity to help when it arose, and I appreciate the strength the Lord has given me physically to perform difficult labor. I also loved being able to grow closer to my friends and my brother during the mission trip.

Seeing the fruit of our labor so quickly within the community we were serving was deeply rewarding, and I was deeply moved by the Lord. October 10 was my 18th birthday, and it was special being able to celebrate it on the trip.

Upon arriving home, I was swept up in a quiet feeling of contentment. It felt as though the Spirit had silenced the noise clouding my mind. That Sunday morning, I was excited for church and ready to praise God for the mild revelation I had received.

I had trusted God wholeheartedly, and He was faithful. That trust will forever remain in me.

After church, my family enjoyed lunch before heading home. As we settled into the living room, my parents and I sat together on the couch. Suddenly, my father said he felt a heavy pain in his chest. My mom and I watched as he clumsily flailed about. Initially, we didn’t think much of it, as my dad is known to overreact. However, his state only intensified, and we quickly sprang up, realizing something was wrong. My mom checked his blood pressure, and it didn’t look right. My dad said the pain felt as though an elephant was sitting on his chest. My mom grabbed her keys and drove him to the hospital.

I gathered my brother and told him that our dad may have just suffered a heart attack.

I then hopelessly called my youth minister, who dropped his lunch plans without hesitation and drove to our house. I was anxious, nervous, and deeply worried about what might happen to my family. The second my youth minister began praying over my brother and me, all of my anxiety turned into hope and trust. From that point on, I knew that no matter what happened, God would be faithful and that I could have trust in His future.

After a long 30 minutes, I received a call from my mom. The situation was entirely different from what I had feared—my dad had experienced a gallbladder attack, a non-fatal condition that can closely mimic the symptoms of a heart attack.

I had trusted God wholeheartedly, and He was faithful. That trust will forever remain in me.

Jonah attends the Franklin Campus.