Fervor, My Dear

Although I gave my life to Christ and accepted him as my Lord and Savior at the age of eight, two large trials that I experienced served to strengthen my faith and bring me closer to the Lord.

Firstly, I was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure at the age of 29. Implanted with an internal heart pump called an LVAD, I lived in a disabled state for five years while I awaited a heart transplant. It was a painful and challenging time for me, yet I was comforted by one of my favorite passages of scripture—Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” I eventually received a heart transplant in 2024, which marked the end of a long and painful period of my life. God never abandoned me throughout it, and I felt his peace even in the darkest moments.

The second trial of my life has been my struggle with OCD, which has been a huge challenge in my life since I was a young boy. Early on in my walk with Christ, I feared that the OCD I dealt with was some sort of punishment from God. However, as I leaned on Christ and stayed in the Word despite my fears, I found John 9. In it, Jesus is questioned as to what sin a blind man committed to be cursed with being blind. Jesus informed the questioners that it was not a punishment, and that the blindness existed so that God’s glory could be shown through the man. I realized that my OCD was not a curse from God, and that it provided me with a strong sense of empathy that allows me to glorify God through loving others.

Music has been a gift from God in my life, which has helped me in both the good times and the hard times. I seek to glorify Christ and share his love with others through it, and am thankful for the human God-given blessing of being able to create art!