Randy Schroeder 1655 words
PO Box 50901
Parks, Az 86018
(928) 607-9562
My Exciting God
By Randy Schroeder
The most exciting experience I have ever had isn’t just a
onetime thing. I am continuously experiencing the never ending
love and grace that God has given me. It is always exciting
because you never know what is going to happen next. There has
been many times when things happen that I know was orcistrated
by God because of the outcomes and the order they fall into
place. I usually don’t see it or feel like God is in control
until I see what comes of the situation that I am in at the
time.
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When I was about 19 years old, I worked for a landscaping
company that was all Christians. I couldn’t get away from all
the bible talk. Everyone would tell me their stories, but most
of it I thought went in one ear and out the other. I was asked
to go to church many times, but I said that I would rather go
hiking on a Sunday morning. Later in life, I met up with an old
girlfriend named Leticia who became a Christian. She went to
the same church that my uncle went to. I was interested in going
out with her again but she couldn’t because we were unequally
yoked (meaning that we didn’t have the same spiritual beliefs).
I asked my uncle how I could go out with her without going to
church. He said that I couldn’t. Then he altered the subject
and told me how Jesus has changed his life. The things he told
me kept going through my mind and I developed a feeling that I
had to see what my uncle was talking about. A few weeks
later, without telling anyone where I was going, I went to
Horizon Christian Fellowship church near my house. I sat near
the back row and listen to Mike Macintosh talk and read from the
bible. It was like someone told him I was going to be there.
Everything he talked about was about me. All the sudden, I
remembered everyone I worked with and their stories many years
ago. I was hooked from then on. I knew that God was calling me
to follow him. It is still the same today after 16 years
later. I did keep in touch with Leticia but we never got back
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together even though I became a Christian. I know that God only
brought her back into my life so she could share her story with
me.
Another experience I had been within a year after I had
become a Christian. I knew about my vision problem and that it
can’t be cured. I was in the process of getting my Massage
therapy schooling done. I had been waiting for Vocational
Rehabilitation to approve me so my school would be paid for so I
could finish the school. Also, I was waiting to see if I was
going to be able to qualify for a magnifying machine so I could
read things without putting a magnifying glass over everything I
read. While this was going on, I was waiting on an answer for
a job that I interviewed for earlier in the week. All of my
prayers were answered almost at the same time. I had one call
after another. Each one letting me know that I got the job, I
got my magnifying machine and my school was going to be paid
for. I believe that God allowed these things to happen for me
because of my prayers to him.
When my son Aaron turned five months old, he got a high
fever and I took him to the emergency room three times over
three days because it wouldn’t go away. I would do everything
to get his fever down, but I couldn’t get rid of it. I tried
fever reducers, cool baths, and not covering him up but the
fever kept coming back. This is the first time I felt real fear
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that I was going to lose my son. I prayed that God would take
the fever away but he didn’t.
When I took him in the last time, a doctor looked at Aaron
and new right away what was wrong with him. He saw the cherry
red lips, cheeks, and tongue and he was very lethargic. The
doctor said that he believes that my son had a disease called
Kawasaki’s disease. This disease affects the coronary arteries
of the heart. These arteries supply the heart muscle with
oxygenated blood to keep the heart alive. Kawasaki’s disease
has no tests for it, but thank God there is a cure.
Aaron spent a week in the hospital getting tested for
everything that can be tested for to rule them out before they
treat the Kawasaki’s disease. He had two spinal taps, and they
took so much blood from him to test, that they ran out of places
to get the blood. The doctors had to take the blood from the
veins in Aaron’s forehead. Aaron was tested for everything from
Meningitis to Leukemia. After they ruled everything else out,
the doctors gave Aaron something called Gamugobulin. This is a
solution that helps the organs in the body. Within 24 hours, my
baby was back to normal. I believe that God put that doctor
with the knowledge of such a rare disease in that emergency room
right at that time just so he could identify my sons symptoms.
That doctor wasn’t even working in that part of the hospital
that night.
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During that week, a few research doctors came from Atlanta
to take saliva samples from all of us to test for their
research. Aaron’s case was important because he was the 2nd
youngest baby in the United States to get Kawasaki’s disease.
Most kids are between 2 and 6 years old that get it. Aaron had
an echocardiogram (sonogram of the heart) one year later and
everything was normal.
The most significant spiritual experience I have ever had
has to be at the beginning of my divorce. My ex-wife had left
me for this Navaho guy. About 4 days later, I found out that he
was driving my truck around while my ex was at work. I found
out which hotel they were staying at and I went there and took
my truck. He tried to catch me, but was unable to. After I got
some distance from there, I pulled over to look through all the
papers that were left in the truck. I found some tax papers
with his social security number on them. I have a friend who
did a background check on this guy and found out that he spent 6
years in prison for child molestation. I took this information
the next day and filed for divorce. I had to present it before
a judge that was more of an on call judge. The regular judge
was in Phoenix. After pleading my case for emergency custody
for my 8 year old son, the judge granted me the custody. I
couldn’t believe it. I was overcome with so much emotion that I
burst out crying while I thanked him for helping me protect my
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son. I talked to a lawyer and she said that for a judge to
grant emergency custody on a case that belonged to another judge
is nothing less than miraculous. I believe that God had
everything to do with me getting this information to protect my
son.
Throughout my divorce, God lined situations and people up
so that I would get the information I need to keep Aaron safe.
It was hard because I was so angry but I knew that if I took
things into my own hands, I would have gone to jail and Aaron
wouldn’t have either parent to take care of him. I had to be
patient and trust God. There were many bad decisions made from
my ex-wife that could damage my son both physically and
emotionally forever but God knew everything that was to come and
provided the means for me to stay one step in front of my ex-
wife.
By the time the divorce was final, I had full custody of my
son. My ex-wife did get some visitation only because her
boyfriend was sent back to prison 2 months after I filed for
divorce. He violated his parole and was sent back for 10 years.
Of course I believe that God set that up too.
This whole experience through me into another direction in
my life. I felt so good that I was able to do what it takes to
keep my son safe. I am drawn to a field where I can protect
other kids from predators. God opened up doors for me to go
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back to school to get my Criminal Justice Degree so I can be a
juvenile probation officer or a CPS worker. In the mean time I
have become a therapeutic foster care parent. I have a 15 year
old boy and a 16 year old boy living with my son and me. I pray
that God will help me make a difference in these boys’ lives so
they can grow into good men. The experience in foster care will
help me identify behaviors later when I am working for CPS or
juvenile probation. I will be able to make better decisions for
the kids. I hope that it is also helping me be a better father
to my son Aaron.
I have experienced God in my life for 16 years now and I
feel so thankful that he continuously watches over me and guides
me. I would not be where I am today without him. Every day is
exciting because I know that no matter what happens good or bad,
all things are part of his plan for my life.
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