Josanna

I don’t even know where to start with this letter. There are so many memories that we have shared throughout the years! All those Wednesday nights, Fine Arts Festive practices and trips, Acquire the Fire trips, and mission trips have been a blast! They have shown me what a solid, funny, open, engaging, sincere, and godly guy you are. I thank God so much for the four years that I got to know and spend time with you each week. I was so blessed to hear just a portion of what God has laid on your heart to tell others. You have stirred my heart to fall deeper in love with Christ and not to become someone who is complacent in my faith. Thank you for being willing to let God use you!

This past year has turned you from a role model into an inspiration. My heart broke for you when I first heard about Blake. I can’t even comprehend how you felt as his father. Your strength and reliance in God (even through the tears and sleepless nights) was a motivation to me. Your story and an illustration I heard recently made me think about my faith with Christ at a different level. This is the illustration: We get so hyped up to experience the thrill of a roller coaster. Without a moment’s hesitation, we jump on board and trust the roller coaster operator with our lives. How about God? Do we trust Him with our lives? We don’t most of the time. We don’t trust Him or get excited about what He’s going to do with our everyday situations… let alone our lives! It’s hard to imagine that we don’t trust the God of this Universe with our situations, but we’re willing to trust ordinary people with our lives. I’m sure that your trust in God has grown throughout the past few months and will keep on growing throughout the years to come. I pray that God will continue to be your source of strength through the hard times and the good times as well!

I still remember getting a text from you saying, “All the nurses here remind me of you and Caitlin”. After just starting nursing school, it was a great encouragement to me and confirmation that I was in the right place. I was overwhelmed that you encouraged me with that simple sentence when all I wanted to do was uplift your spirits.

I pray that over the next year God will do amazing things in your life:

“God, I pray after this time of “sorrow” that You would bring a time of joy. That a time of blessing and refreshing would fall over Pastor Steve. Let your Holy Presence wash over him right now. May a new excitement and commitment to You be evident in his life. May boldness, passion, and power consume him as he intentionally lives his days for You. I pray that wherever he lays his hands that it will be blessed and will glorify Your Name. Wash over him once again, so he may fall deeper in love with You! We love You Lord! Amen.” 

Wishing you all the best in this year to come! Love you so much!

Josanna Raber