I asked my best friend Ellie to write a blog. To share her story. Because her story affects my story, and many others inbetween. Ellie has been by my side, since we were little and I couldn’t share my stories if it wasn’t for God allowing friends like her to be apart of my life. She has helped shape me into who I am today, and I would be wrong to not share her story along with mine. She has shown me courage, and reliance on the Father in recent months. A heart that goes after it, knowing she lies in the Fathers hands.
Everyone, meet Ellie.
Hi friends , family, and strangers. I am Ellie Shimp- a name that may or may not mean something to you. For whoever, I am one of Kat’s best friends. We have swam together since forever and have grown closer all thanks to working, mission trips, and summer trips to water parks. I am very glad God chose her for the World Race cause she’s doing many great things.
Kat recently asked me to write a blog about God and what He has done in my life. I automatically said yes cause I thought it would be good to finally sit down and think about it. These past six months of 2018 have been interesting. I was involved in a jet ski accident that broke my leg into 5 pieces along with nerve damage. But I’ll get to that later.
God throughout my middle school life was a back burner thought. I went to Wednesday church because my friends did. I didn’t take it very seriously but eventually did in 9th grade. From there I really grew into my faith. I had many heartbreaks from divorce, addiction, and deaths but I still stayed with God. It was very challenging and I failed many times. I often became angry that my prayers weren’t answered or if I didn’t pray about certain things. I realized who God truly was in 10th grade on a mission trip.
If you’ve ever talked to anyone about God’s mountain spring break, often they won’t know what to say. It was an experience that you have to live to understand. Going into the trip my faith was very weak and confusing, however leaving that trip I became a full believer into this God. There, I learned that God was a friend. Although He is almighty, He doesn’t need to feel like it to us. He simply is a few words away. He isn’t scary and doesn’t want to come off as that. I went on the mission trip in 11th grade with Kat. I always thought Kat was a firm believer, which is true, but on that mountain I saw her eyes light up at the word Jesus and saw her grow into the believer she always wanted to be.
I would say that my faith was truly, truly tested in July of 2018. That was the month that really changed me. I spent the whole month in the hospital where I was constantly broken. It was an uphill battle with surgeries, disappointments, and visitors. My accident took away any chance of me running or jumping ever again. To tell an active, athletic girl that she wasn’t going to be that anymore, was a huge gut punch. There were nights that I bawled just asking God to heal me or to wake me up from this “dream.” However that dream was my new reality.
The accident had caused my nerves to die in my leg which the chance of them coming back are slim to none. Of all the prayers I said for my injury, for my nerves to come back, was the biggest one I prayed. Sometime in October, I had an EMG which is a nerve test and the results were devastating. I was very angry that my prayers weren’t answered when that’s all I prayed about. My faith in God quickly disappeared because, why wouldn’t it? This Christmas was very special this year. The week before, I had yet another appointment. This one was going to tell me if I was finally healed. Before I went, I prayed that my bone was healed. That was what needed for me to continue my life. I also read Jesus Calling. It said that what I have worked for will be presented as a pure gift. I read this before so I went in a good feeling and hoped that it was true. The doctor showed my xrays… and my bone was healed!!!! Finally a prayer was answered and I couldn’t help but cry. This whole time we got bad or upsetting news and finally, God pulled through.
Throughout all my life with God, I realized that he is always there and always listening. We humans just have to wait and realize Him. He has never wanted to be invisible or absent from your life. He clearly has made you for a reason. I probably will never know why my leg is like this or how this is apart of my plan, but every time I have strayed from God, he has got me back to him. That’s apart of my plan.
So kat, I thank you for letting me write this cause I’ve figured some things out. 2019 will be a year full of growth and change and I can’t wait!!
