Going through life you know that your faith is going to be tested, but when, where and how are the questions that God leaves unanswered. At age thirteen, when my parents went through their divorce, it not only affected them but my brothers and sister as well. It was a time when God called upon me and I unknowingly called upon him. I was given new responsibility to look after and take care of my younger brother who was six. My parents were still great parents to all of us kids, but they too were going through life changes themselves. My younger brother became my shadow, whether it was being my team’s manager, going to the park or gym to shoot baskets, play catch with the baseball or football, or just watching sports on TV or playing video games. We became more than brothers, we became best friends.
It was then I decided I wanted to go into education and become a teacher/coach. I wanted to impact the lives of young children because of the joy my younger brother had unknowingly given to me. It was because of my parent’s divorce that I found out what my calling by God was. I attended Central Michigan (CMU) and was on my way to graduating. All I had left was my student teaching in the fall of 1994 at Pewamo-Westphalia High School. I was in my third week of my sixteen week placement when on September 10, 1994, my faith would be tested again.
My father committed suicide.
Ironically speaking, during the week of September 10th, is now suicide prevention week. Being a former Division I and professional baseball player, I struggled hitting the curve ball, this however was the toughest curve ball that God has thrown at me to date. The questions of “Why?” will never subside. I came to the conclusion that faith was all I had. With the support of my family and friends we went on, but never have forgotten. Upon my return to the classroom after saying goodbye to my father, I used this experience to convey to students this story and the one of my parent’s divorce to let them know I was a person they could turn too and confide in if they were struggling with these types of issues.
After teaching in my third year and second at Pewamo-Westphalia with my best friend since fifth grade, not to mention my college roommate at CMU, he decided to go to CMU on a Friday because he had to get some paper work from the admissions office. I was upset at him because he didn’t ask me to call in sick and go with him. Later that day I was coaching a varsity baseball game when my mom came up to me with “the look”. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that Tony was in a bad car accident and wasn’t in very good condition. After my game that night I went the hospital, not knowing the severity, to see my best friend, colleague and brother in the condition he was in. God once again threw a curveball at me. After several weeks of being on a ventilator, Tony’s parents sat his brother, sisters, fiancé and friends down and they wanted to know if we thought it was time to let Tony go. My answer was yes. It was decided by all that we would unplug Tony from the ventilator and let him be at peace, to let him go home to God. This would and still is another endeavor in my walk of life that I use to help kids.
As time went on I married Jill, a wonderful, caring women whom I had met in college. We were dating when my father died and when Tony passed on. Tony was supposed to be in our wedding in July but died in June. We did not replace him; we put a rose in his position because, although we knew he could not hold it, he was still there with my father. Jill was my savior that God gave me. She was my rock to lean on and I was hers. It is easy to get along and love each other in good times, but in tough times is when you know the love is as strong as rock because each of you give a piece of yourself to help the ones you love.
Jill and I have a strong love and wanted to start a family with the foundation we had. Jill became pregnant, but nine weeks into the pregnancy she had a miscarriage. It was time for us to lean on our family and friends again, but more so, each other. In this day and age, I had another area where I could help my students with a real life situation. Jill became pregnant a few months later and in February of 2001 we had our son. What a day!! I told people I knew it was a boy because I told my father, as a scolding on the day we buried him, that my first born would be a son (Brandon Gerald) and he should be ashamed because he was going to miss it. God gave Jill and me one of the happiest days of our lives. About a year later, Jill became pregnant again and in the ninth week, we had another miscarriage. Even though we were sad we embraced the gift of our son Brandon all the more. If he were to be our only child he would get all our love. In 2003 and 2006 we had two “Daddy’s girls”, Carly and Addison. What love and joy they bring to us each and every day. God has truly blessed us with his precious gift of children to love and raise in our faith.
As time went on I thought God had put me out to pasture so to speak, because my playing of baseball was done so in essence, no more curveballs. Well, a few days past my thirty ninth birthday I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes, better known as Juvenile diabetes. I told God that I knew I acted juvenile at times but this was a little ridiculous. I now can add another scenario to the resume.
God puts us in places where he needs us. We are his tools that are put here to promote his message of faith. He put me in the field of education, and made all these different scenarios take place in my life in order to help the students in which I teach.
