Embracing Purpose Beyond Disabilities: Steven’s Story of Faith and Resilience

I’m a first-year student at Shepherds College®, a school for young adults with disabilities. I have several disabilities, including ADHD, ADD, and OCD.

I want to talk to you about Shepherds College. I’m sure you have lots of questions!

Life tends to be like that—so many unanswered questions. But at Shepherds College, all questions are welcomed and valued. We believe that asking questions can help you grow. I’m already growing in ways I never thought I could! This is my story so far, and I’m honored to share it with you.

I like to think of myself as a survivor. It’s a powerful growth mindset that I didn’t always have. I had a feeding tube for the first fifteen years of my life, so I was different from a lot of other people. I was very self-conscious about it, and it diminished my faith in not only myself but also in God. Though I “prayed the prayer” with my father at age five, I never truly knew the Lord as my Savior until I attended a Christian summer camp as a teenager.

This new hope was initially hard to hold on to, especially after my mom, the greatest mother in the world, passed away on January 24, 2018. I was closer to her than anyone. It was a devastating blow not just to me but to my grandmother and father and so many others. Tons of people came to her funeral. She was such an amazing person, and so many people admired her. She always loved music, and she passed that down to me.

After my mom’s funeral, things took a turn for the worse. Any Christian music I tried to listen to brought me to tears, so I completely shut it out of my life for over two years. I’m so glad I eventually found the courage to bring it back!

Fast forward through my life. New relationships and new emotions led to unhealthy situations. I ended up with the realization that I had to change.

Ever since then, I have made sure that I keep my emotions, thoughts, and actions in check. I’m not saying it was easy. For example, I wanted to be mean back when someone was mean to me. It’s typical human behavior. But just because a behavior is typical doesn’t make it right. Here at Shepherds College, bullying is not tolerated at all! You will always have staff to stand by you, but you are the one who must self-advocate and seek advice from your advisor.

Even better, seek help from the Lord! Proverbs 3:5-6 says to: Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.

This verse means that if you trust God, you’ll let him help you with your problems. He won’t solve your problems for you, but He’ll most certainly be with you no matter what you’re going through. It may still take a long time, but as long as you stay focused on Jesus, you’ll eventually come out on top!

Although I have ADHD, ADD, and OCD, I don’t let my disabilities hinder me. They aren’t my identity. My identity is found in Christ.

Although I have ADHD, ADD, and OCD, I don’t let my disabilities hinder me. They aren’t my identity. My identity is found in Christ.