Scott’s life story/testimony
I feel very blessed to have been born into such a loving Christian home. I am from a family of 6, 5 boys and one 1 beautiful sister. My father went to meet his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ after a 8 month battle with cancer in 1992.
Our family attended Wallenstein Bible chapel, a church that my grandfather was instrumental in starting. This had a significant impact on my life. To this day, many of my friends are from relationships started at that church. Like many farm kids, I professed to be saved 1st at 6 years old in the “barn”. Why there I don’t know. My oldest brother was very influential in my decision. Again like most kids I had many fears such as, did my parents go to heaven while I was at school. These continued until at age 14 when I recommitted my life to Christ. At that time I was attending a kids club at church called Awana. This program had a significant impact on me and led to my recommitment. My fears stopped and I was even nice to my sister for a bit .
At age 14 I entered youth group and started high school. I look back at high school and see the value in having had friends that I both went to church and school with. I believe this helped keep me from getting in with the wrong crowd. During high school I gravitated towards what I thought were the easy subjects like, phys-ed, typing and tech classes. In grade 12 I joined the machine shop co-op program, which led to my 1st full time job. During this time I was growing as a Christian, but not prepared for the 1st big trial in my life.
At 21 one years old I found out that my dad, the glue of our family had cancer in his bowels, lungs and liver. He would live just 8 months and I was privileged to be at his side when he passed. Dad lived his life for God. He was human and he made mistakes, but he was a great man who desired to walk with God. He was also a great example of a Christian, father, husband and employee. The summer of 92 was a summer spent with dad. We are a lot alike so our relationship was not always warm and fuzzy. We both are very intense about what we believe in. He passed on Dec 26, 1992. Those who remembered him at the funeral home and service were many. The months that followed were very hard. By this time my older 3 brothers were married and on their own. It was just my younger brother and sister, my mom and I at home. The months that followed saw us experience a chimney fire and my mom’s dad having a stroke. These things rocked my world, but drew me closer to God who is my Rock. As the months and years have gone by, dad’s memory is ever present and his influence still exists. I continued my involvement in the youth group and at age 22 was in a leadership role.
At 22 I was also in a leadership position at work and had obtained my general machinist license. Looking back now I can see that I probably did not grieve dad’s passing properly. I struggled in life. Many of my friends were married and had kids and at age 28 I decided to switch church’s and began attending Community Fellowship. This was huge for a shy guy.
It was at Community Fellowship, in the fall of 1998 that I met my wife. The pastor gave the audience an opportunity to great each other. I like to tease Elizabeth that she jumped over several rows of chairs to greet me, but that’s not entirely true. Our relationship began cautiously, but when we both put our age difference aside, the relationship grew quickly. In May 1999 there were building lots in Elmira and prior to us getting engaged, we moved ahead with building a house. We were engaged soon after and married November 6, 1999. By this time I was working in a design position at a Waterloo based automation company called Systematix.
I look back now at my adult life and can see that God has richly blessed me with many challenging and great experiences. He promises never to leave or forsake us and he hasn’t. While he has blessed me with a great wife, 2 awesome kids, good jobs, the means to take trips to Europe, Florida, St Lucia, Portarico and Western Canada, he has also blessed us with learning experiences, such as my father’s passing, doctors saying that Eliz and I probably could not have kids followed by a miscarriage, family marriage breakups, a nephews sudden passing at age 17, my wife’s battle with flesh eating disease in 2005 leaving her with impaired vision, her severe bacterial infections in 2009 & 2010, a severe vehicle accident in 2010, challenging financial times for siblings and finally my diagnosis with cancer in November 2011. God has seen us through this and has blessed us.
Because of mankind’s decision to sin as is described in the book of Genesis, we are deserving of Hell. When one keeps that perspective, that this life is short in the grand scheme of things and that if we accept Gods free gift of salvation and eternity, then life’s challenges don’t seem so bad. God sent his only son to be the difference.
Currently my cancer is in a remission that the doctors expect could last up to between 4 and 5 years. I receive chemo every 3 months for 2 years (until 2014) and will be monitored frequently.
The following versus mean a great deal to me:
2 Cor 12:9aBut he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
James 1:2-4&12; Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
1 Cor 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
