Testimony

I have shared a little bit of my journey with Type One Diabetes in past blogs, but have never actually shared my full testimony, or at least what God has done in my life so far. I believe that God gave all of us different and unique stories for a reason. He did not just give us cool stories to keep them to ourselves, but to tell others of the work that is taking place in our lives. So, maybe this is a form of inspiration for you to go and tell others about what Christ is doing in and through you. God doesn’t need us to do what He wants, but He chooses to let us be a part of that process. So, with that being said, here is my story...

I was born on October 24, 2001, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I grew up in a Christian family, with grandparents and other distant relatives who were also raised a part of a Christian family. One November afternoon in 2005, I had accepted Christ to be my Savior. Do I think I was really saved? Heck no. There was no fruit displayed and I didn’t even have a personal relationship with my Savior. For the first, about 14 years of my life, I had lived in my family's shadow. I just went with the flow and followed in my brothers footsteps. In summary, I didn’t have much to worry about. I was spoiled to where I just relied on my parents to always provide for me and comfort me. School was similar. As an athlete, I was a pretty popular kid in school, yet quiet. I was a bit of a goofball, to be honest. I was an introverted goofball. At that point of my life, I did not know my identity. Although I hated attention, I was so focused on getting it, that my jokes that were meant to make people laugh ended up being one of the things I lived for; as well as sports and attention. Although I seemed quiet and humble, I wasn’t. I wasn’t a boastful kid, however I didn’t know what true humility was at the time. I had just thought that it was being quiet and avoiding showing off and boasting. One day during Bible class in 8th grade, I was being rowdy and not paying attention. So, my Bible teacher called me out. He basically called me immature in front of the whole class, and said I was trying to get attention all the time through stupid jokes. It really hit me. I felt so embarrassed and angry at him that I convinced myself to be quiet in every class, every day for the rest of middle school and high school. This quietness would last me to the end of the school year. Although I was quieter and starting to mature, I was not spiritually maturing. Like I said, I was so confused on what my identity was. I was so focused on leaving a legacy, rather than letting Jesus be my legacy. At the end of that summer, I went to Word of Life Bible Institute for (my brother) Caleb’s graduation, and this was where everything changed for me. After seeing, not for the first time, but for the first time since evaluating my lifestyle, the energy and passion that these 18-20 year old college students had for Jesus inspired me. I started to get an understanding that life is so much more than just what we do, but rather what someone had done for us. I started to see Jesus in a new light. Ever since that summer of 2016, I had started to listen to worship music, hoping it would lend a hand to my spiritual growth, and boy was I right. I had learned so much about God just through the lyrics of some of my favorite music. Through music videos, live concerts, and just what I could hear through my earbuds, I had started to see that, you know, life with Jesus ain’t so bad. It was energy-filled. Seeing people dedicate their lives to worship and serve Jesus really inspired me. That summer, at graduation, the theme of the summer camps was “identity”. This was exactly what I needed. Through the time spent there, I had been taught that our identity is no longer found in what we do, or how we do it, but that it is found in Christ. This summer was for sure one of the most important moments of my life. I really started to question why I was doing what I was doing. Was it so that I would be remembered, or that Jesus would be remembered? As time went on, my heart had a desire to know Jesus more, but I had not changed much from the Ja(c)k previous to August of 2016. Suddenly, one afternoon in February changed my life forever. On February 20, 2017, I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. Ever since the diagnosis, my perspective on everything has changed. Before this event, I had trusted my parents myself, emotion, and logic. This was the first time that I was required to trust my Savior. I mean, I had a disease that I shouldn’t have survived, yet God chose to provide for me and continue to offer life to me. Ever since then, I have reminded myself of my life verse, 2 Corinthians 12:9,10, which state, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” These verses have been life changing as I have been reminded at my lowest that I have been blessed with more than an opportunity, but a platform. Diabetes is no curse, it is a gift. Like Paul, this is a thorn that I cannot eliminate, but one that I must live with. I have seen Christ’s power through this weakness tenfold, which has made Diabetes so much more worth it. The past two years, I have been focused on spiritual growth, above all else. I have laid my middleschool dreams at the Lord’s feet, and have asked Him to do with me as He wants. God does not need me to accomplish His will, but He chooses to use me, and I am beyond thankful for that. God does not owe me anything, however I owe everything to Him. So, thank you to my 8th grade Bible teacher, as you were one of the first of many steps towards the image of Christ’s Son. Through the embarassing time I got called out, to the challenges you present to our class that get me thinking, to the teaching and preaching you bless us with on a day-to-day basis. But most importantly, thank you Jesus for giving me the right perspective when I easily could have given up or turned around. One of my other life verses is Exodus 14:14, which states, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent”, is very important as I continue to pursue growth and change. Through Diabetes, college, and other things in my near future, I often worry. I worry, “what next?” This verse is a reminder to me that in order for me to watch the Lord work, I need to be silent. Silence requires trust, therefore I need to rely on the God who sent His one and only Son, to die for my sins, so that I could spend eternity worshiping Him in Heaven, to hold my hand and lead me on a day-to-day basis. One of my life quotes is “one day at a time”. I need to not only trust God with my future, but to trust Him with today, then tomorrow, then the next. Thank You, Jesus, for choosing to love me first. I know that You are not done with me.

-Jack Hilsher

“And even if He doesn’t...”

Exodus 14:14 (ESV)

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”