Nate was a guy who had pretty much hit rock bottom. On the outside, things looked okay for a while. But behind the scenes, anxiety was eating him alive – not the kind you can shake off, but the kind that sticks, that controls everything. Somewhere along the way, alcohol became his way of coping, and then came the brain tumor. Life didn’t just feel heavy, it felt impossible. His marriage was falling apart, and walking into church felt like the last card he had to play.

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It was at ACF that something shifted. He heard a sermon that began to give him a deeper understanding of who God is. He started praying, really praying, and he noticed that when he did, things started to happen. Not instantly, not magically, but in a real and steady way. God wasn’t just a distant idea anymore, He became someone Nate could lean on, especially in the moments when it felt like no one else was there. Baptism followed. It was Nate’s way of laying it all out before God and saying, “I accept You above everything.” It wasn’t a show; it was surrender.

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His marriage started changing, too. Before, there was blame, frustration, and no direction. Now, God was the center, defining their choices, teaching them how to forgive, and giving them hope again. They learned how to lean on Him first, not just each other. And for Nate, that made all the difference. They’re fully present for each other now, not perfect, but committed, with forgiveness in their hearts and purpose in their steps.

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Nate would tell you this: “I couldn’t be sober without God’s help… I can’t do anything without His help.” What felt like the worst part of his life turned out to be the very place God met him. And even though things didn’t instantly get easier, they got clearer. Because it’s not always about understanding the why, it’s about learning to trust the One who never leaves in the middle of the storm.

Where do you see a mirror of your own experience with God in Nate's story? Take a moment right now to reflect with God in prayer about how he's met you in your own story, too.