#BLESSED

May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4

My life has been a series of minor bumps in the road. Though the ride has been slightly uncomfortable, I am still trucking along. I have always had a pretty okay life. My parents are still married and they love me. Sure, my family may not be on the highest level when it comes to our income bracket, but we have pretty much thrived. We now own a house in a quiet suburb in Concord, NC (just outside of Charlotte), and I love it there. Since I was three, I have gone to an amazing church in Charlotte with friends, who I consider my family. And yet, I always seem to think that I need some kind of tragedy in my life in order to come closer to God. Whenever I see people who are so on fire in their faith, they have generally gone through something terrible and unimaginable and the Lord rescued them through some sort of miracle. I am going be honest, I used to, and sometimes still do wish that something terrible would happen to me just so that I could have that same “on fire” faith that these people have. At one stage it got to the point I would imagine the most terrible things that could happen to me and wish them upon myself. I was a mess. Then I look at the life I have had, the fact that my life has been pretty smooth is a miracle in itself. The Lord only throws at you what He knows you can handle. It is hard to admit but if I were to go through some terrible tragedy, I might not make it out on the other side. Recently, I have come to the conclusion that I do not need a tragedy to have that same “on fire” faith. I just need to take what the Lord has given to me and be thankful that I have these things. The fact that my life is so great is a testament to the Lord. The Lord is with me through it all, even when I may feel like I do not need Him.

By: Nathan Settlemyre ('21)

Concord, North Carolina