A Man named Jason

 I am marveling about....

A Man named Jason.

A man who had a big heart. He had a love for Jesus that was palpable and a concern for others that was undeniable.

His life was hard. Really hard. But it was blessed. Really blessed.

He knew his parents' and family's deep and abiding love, and he knew the support and friendship of many, oh so many!

Back during his teen years and early twenties, he was care free. Enjoyed his friends. Partied.

Then came that fateful day. He and his friends, out on the Mackinaw. Doing what they had done often before. Diving from a tree limb into a deep area of the waters. For some reason (well, he said he was showing off) he attempted a flip which took him beyond the deep area and landed him on a sandbar. And it broke his neck.

Life would never be the same. He became destined to life from a chair. Unable to walk or even use his hands and arms like they were meant to be used. He became dependent on others to care for him and see to his most basic needs.

But his family shared, that they never heard him complain.   

He went through some questioning, some "Why me" times, but he did not let it get the best of him.

He had an amazing mom who promised him, early on, that she would never let him go to a nursing home or an institution, That she would be there for him. And she was!

 Jason was blessed to be Dad to Ali and Rolla and Grandpa to Hadlee and Weston.

Through the years, Jason suffered. A lot. Multiple surgeries, persistent bed wounds, many skin grafts, bothersome spasms, long weeks of lying on his back due to a post op situation,  various types of illnesses and frequent infections, challenging autonomic nervous system issues, needing IV's, wound vac care...I could go on and on. And his family was there!

And then came that wonderful day when he came to the beautiful realization! That day, when he learned that,... His Savior was there! There for him. He who died for him, was there to give him new purpose and vision. To give him a joy that would come to fill him to overflowing! A joy that spilled over and onto everyone he came into contact with.

It came in maybe an unexpected way. But such is our Redeemer, He who can bring "beauty from ashes" (Isaiah 61:3) and "restore the years the locust have eaten" (Joel 25:2).

So to set up the situation....he made some poor choices and it landed him in jail. For thirteen months. During that time, he was in a special medical ward; confined to the four walls. And being the "people person" that he was, he became restless. Someone remarked to him that he should ask to go to church there in prison, that it would provide a way for him to "get out" from the confines of his room. And so he did. He had been raised attending church, but never really listened or internalized what he heard, But that first day, in that prison chapel, the Word grabbed hold of his soul. He took the Bible he was given and started reading with an insatiable appetite. He first opened to Proverbs. By the time he was on the fifth chapter, he looked up to the Heavens. His life was being addressed, verse by verse. It resonated with his heart and filled him with a deep desire to know more about this Jesus! 

When he got out of prison, he expressed to his mom that he feared he might lose his passion, might drift back to his "old ways". He needed someone to start reading the Bible with him. Every day. His mom mentioned this request to his Aunt Annie.  

And thus began 7 years of meeting 2-3 times a week, going through the Bible, chapter by chapter with Aunt Annie. After reading they would discuss it. He asked so many questions. They covered so much. Nothing was off limits. These were sweet sessions they shared together with Jesus; growing in faith.

His baptism day was one his family and friends will never forget. When he talked with his Pastor, he was assured that they could baptize him, of course, sprinkle him or cup water over his head. Oh no. He wanted to be immersed! Jason already had it all planned out. When the day came, six of his friends carried him into the baptismal waters as onlookers watched with tears of joy and thankfulness! (Click on the link below to view his baptism and testimony).

When it came to Jesus, Jason could not get enough. And he could not share it enough. He started telling everyone with whom he had a chance of the glorious Truth of the Gospel message. One time he was "giving someone a ride" home (in his van, driven by his caregiver). He had a ten minute drive to condense and deliver the Gospel. He prayed and shared and once again, another soul was given a chance to know Jesus! He had a way of reaching out to the underdog, to those who were hurting.

He became a spokesperson for the OSF program called "Think First". He would go into High Schools and share with the students of his experiences and what he had learned along the way. Of  the importance of thinking before you act, of the consequences that follow your actions.

He also had a passion for Youth for Christ's Juvenile Justice Ministry where he shared his story and his love for Jesus with troubled youth. 

Jason was a High School drop out. He later went on to get his GED and he graduated from college with honors in 2017 after attending classes on-line. His parents took him to Florida to be able to participate in the graduation ceremony.

It is remarkable how his parents saw to it that he was able to experience special opportunities! There were various trips, dragging along equipment, working around the inconveniences of travel and hotels. There was the time they went to Leo, IN to speak with the church Youth Group there. No easy feat, but one that turned out to be such a blessing. His family took him camping; brought along his bed, his lift, all of his paraphernalia. But all of this was done with a generous heart of love!  

He belonged to a small group Bible Study at this church. He loved it. And they loved him. His Pastor Chris was a wonderful friend and mentor who he deeply respected. It was mutual. His many caregivers over the years, came to love him and of course came to hear much of his Jesus!

And then, several years ago, the Lord blessed him with a beautiful four footed friend. His name was Boone; a service dog! He and Boone became fast friends. Boone would stay by his side. He was trained to pick up a dropped remote, to pull back the covers if Jason got hot at night and to just be there for him.  Boone would put himself between Jason and a potential source of harm. The dog obviously took his job seriously and loved his master fiercely.

In January of 2021, Jason once again had to succumb to surgery for a deep, ongoing bed wound. He needed it grafted and was to be in the hospital in Springfield for over seven weeks. The family wondered how Boone and Jason would do without each other. Thankfully, since he was a service dog, the hospital eventually decided to let Boone come stay with him after all. "I don't know who was more excited to see the other", the family remarked as they reflected on that reunion. It happened to be during the season of Covid. Thankfully, the Lord provided as Jason was cared for by his faithful parents, who took turns being with him or staying in the car as he could only have one visitor at a time. And of course, Boone was there, at his side.

After the surgery, Jason came home but was still recovering. It was in April that he himself contracted Covid. His body was worn down and his lungs were impaired from lying in bed so long. Covid hit him hard. He was hospitalized once again. Since both his parents also had Covid, Aunt Annie was allowed to be his Essential Caregiver. She shared of the beauty and the hard of those last weeks. It was painful to see him suffering as he struggled to breathe. Through it all they read Scriptures and prayed together. They set up a "prayer chain" made up of family and friends. He always had someone in mind whom he wanted to pray for him, and so Annie would give them a call. 

She shared of the time he asked, with faltering voice, for his cousin Chad from Indiana. When they called, Chad and Kristy were hosting the church Young Group. So after Chad's prayer, Chad asked if they could all sing for him. "How about they sing 'Light the Fire'?" Annie asked. Jason gave a weak nod. It was a beautiful time as those young voices filled his hospital room with hope.   

After their quarentine, his parents, Julie and Jim, were again allowed in to be with Jason. Eventually, Jason's entire family was able to be there at his side. At the end. To tell him goodbye. After such physical struggling, he let them know that he was ready. He was ready to go home, to say good-bye to this world with it's heartache and loss and to go on ahead to his best friend Jesus! 

Jason was not perfect, but he came to know the Source of his (and all true believers') potential eternal perfection. His Savior and Redeemer! If you want to be truly blessed and enter a sacred space of eternal perspective, take a listen and click on the link below to hear his beautiful Celebration of Life service. But be sure to have a Kleenex handy!

 So may the Lord bless this dear family, as they now move on. It has been slow and hard. The life-print that Jason left behind is big. It spans many people and many situations. And it is one that invariably points to His Savior in a big and beautiful way!

The touching picture with this post was taken out at Ed and Bonnie Sauder's lake; a place where Jason loved to go. He had a great love for the outdoors and God's creation. We can only imagine what eternal beauty he is beholding now! He also loved music! We can only imagine what glorious strains he is hearing now!

So back to that amazing picture. It has been said that dogs have a very keen sense of hearing. Looking at this photo, it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, Boone was looking upward because he heard a familiar voice, as if Jason was jubilantly shouting out from the magnificent glories of Heaven, a message for each of us here today..."Stay true to God! It is worth it all!"

Celebration of LIfe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvB3JiJShz4

Here is a link to his baptism

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