Garrett Boyer: God moving week 1

It always seems like God isn't doing much around me when I'm not out in another country doing open airs or house churches but I couldn't be more wrong.  Is God ever not at work?  The answer is no!  And He's been teaching and showing me this!  I have currently been called to serve and take care of my friend, Dan, who is a quadriplegic.  While on a missions trip in Mexico with his school, Cedarville University, Dan attempted to do a back flip which resulted in him landing on his neck and crushing his spinal cord.  One of Dan's companions, who "just happened" to be a paramedic, rushed to his aid.  To make a long story short, the result of Dan's accident left him paralyzed from the neck down.  He has been in and out of hospitals not knowing what lies ahead.  But he's never given up or lost the hope that God has a plan. 
    Last summer, after my DTS, God called me to come home and reconcile with my family and get involved with my church.  In doing so I got involved with the college ministry there and attended weekly small group at the house of one of the leaders.  It gave me great hope to know that I wasn't alone in my home town.  Again, to make a long story short, God grew me so much more than I could imagine while being at home after doing my DTS with Youth With A Mission.
On Easter our leader asked the group if we would like to serve in some way.  After praying we felt we were to go over to Dan's house and have a small dinner and communion with him and his family and serve them in any way we could.  We had an awesome time of prayer and testimonies and took communion to dwell on what Jesus has done on the cross for us and what He has done in our hearts recently.  When the night was over I felt strongly that I was to serve beyond that one night.  I have known Dan since Awana so I wasn't ENTIRELY out of my comfort zone.  After a few weeks of helping out around the house and giving his parents some time to themselves, Dan asked me one day if I would be willing to come with him to school in the fall so he could finish classes.  He is a pre-law major at Cedarville University.  I told him I would pray about it.  After praying and dwelling on it for about two weeks, I felt strongly that this is what God wants me to do.  So I obeyed and told him to sign me up. After two weeks of minor medical training, we were on our way to Ohio to school.
In the first few months, it was hard getting used to my responsibilities. Dan is entirely dependent on me for everything from getting out of bed, to eating breakfast and getting ready, to going to class. I was only getting a few hours of sleep per night. I started having lots of feelings of frustration, fatigue, and even depression. I was hardly in the Word and barely ever took time to just stop and spend time with God. He has taught me so much through this. I am learning to find joy in intentionally seeking Him out and making an effort to break away from the world and stresses and just be with Him. Dan is part of an organization at Cedarville called OPE (don’t know why the college refuses to call it a frat). But OPE is a group of guys with a heart to know God, follow Jesus, and become more like Him in all ways. OPE’s central theme verse is

Proverbs 27:17
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

We have a weekly bible study and accountability group (called blade group) that has been amazing. It’s been so good to meet all these guys and befriend a lot of them. They have been so supportive and encouraging through all of this. But the most amazing thing is to see God moving in the hearts of these guys. Even in the short time I have known them I have seen huge changes and revelations. I know God is using my obedience to Him to show these guys a new side of God they’ve never seen. I don’t mean to sound arrogant or anything like that in any way, but through my simple obedience He has shown these guys the servanthood of God and what it means to fully surrender your life to Christ. It has proved to be a challenge for some and a joy for others, but nevertheless God has entrusted me this part of the “Awaken Message” and to bring it into the sphere of life that God has me in at this moment. God is alive and well and changing the hearts of many to bring Himself Glory and to share with us His perfect and Holy righteousness. God has shown me His power through my obedience over and over again. Whether I can see all that He is doing or not makes no difference, it’s knowing that He is at work all over the globe in EVERY sphere of life whether big or small, for there is no big or small with God. He is alive and at work in the hearts of the guys around me in order to bring about His ultimate purpose and He has allowed me to be a part of it. What more could I ask for? God is at work and wants us to join with Him.