25 Stories | Peyton Meile

What ministry (or ministries) are you most involved with at Central?

Student Central 

How did God show up in your life in the last 12 months?

Over the past year, God has shown up in my life by giving me the faith and courage to step out of my comfort zone and go on a mission trip that I wasn’t willing to go on the year before because of that discomfort. During that trip, I made new Christian friends that could be lifetime friends, had meaningful conversations about faith with people I had never met before, and got to pray for many people including the people I have never met. Spending a whole week focused only on God helped my faith grow tremendously. It was all because I trusted Him enough to take that step to do something I wasn’t willing to do the year before. Another thing God did this past year, was introduce a new leader to our youth group. His name is Nick Thiel. When he joined our group it changed my mindset from thinking church wasn't a priority to being something I want to come to. Instead of feeling like I have to go to church because it’s good for me; I started thinking "I can’t wait to go to church" and when I was there I didn’t want the conversations to end. It was one of the first times in my life I actually wanted to learn about Jesus. During the time Nick joined our group, our group started learning way more than we were before and it felt like I was the closest to God I have ever been in my life. God had 2 huge impacts on my faith this year that has grown my faith so much I thought I wouldn’t ever be where I am today.

 How do you live differently knowing God is alive & active in your life?

Knowing that God is active in my life has changed how I live every day. I try to include Him in everything I do. Whether it's school, sports, family, or friendships. I start each day in prayer and end each day in prayer, which has helped me grow closer to Jesus because he’s more active in my day. I also pray before big tests or big games so that I’m not stressed during them. I also pray that when I hang out with my friends that aren’t Christian that God speaks through me so that I can plant that seed so they can grow in their faith. I also read my Bible daily, even if it's just a few verses, because it keeps me in His Word and helps me learn more about him. These habits have made me more joyful, less angry, more forgiving, and more loving toward others. I live differently because I know Jesus is with me, guiding me and helping me become more like Him. Ever since I started doing these things God has been more active in my life.

How did you share the love of Jesus this year with someone who doesn't know Christ?

This year, I shared the love of Jesus by showing kindness and building relationships with people who don’t know Him. Some examples of that are my friends. Some of my friends aren’t Christians and some might go to church a couple times but aren’t serious about it. Sometimes they ask questions about God which starts a conversation about him that could potentially bring them to Jesus. I also served in the community, including on a mission trip where we served food to those in need. During that time, I took the opportunity to talk with several people about their lives. At the end of each conversation, I asked if I could pray for them, and none of them said no. Whether they were Christian or not. These experiences showed me that caring and listening can be a powerful way to share Jesus’ love.

Anything else you'd like to share about your story or testimony?

One thing I’d like to share about my testimony is that a couple of years ago, I was in a pretty dark place. Things weren’t going how I wanted, especially with sports, and I was hanging out with people that weren’t Christians and would bring me down. I felt lost and wondered if I should quit everything, if anyone even liked me, if I should give up on my dreams or find new friends. One night after a late football practice, I was struggling with these thoughts when my dad texted me a verse from the song “Jireh” that said: “I'll never be more loved than I am right now,
Wasn't holding You up,
So there's nothing I can do to let You down,
It doesn't take a trophy to make You proud,
I'll never be more loved than I am right now.” 

Reading that verse changed my mindset instantly. I realized that no matter what I do, God loves me the same. Whether it was yesterday, last month, or last year. Even when I was drifting away from Him he still loved me the same. I don’t have to earn His love or impress Him. I could be the least successful person ever, and He would still love me. God cares about relationship, not achievements. I was lost and was trying to do both. I was focusing more on success than Jesus. But Jesus is always knocking. All you got to do is open the door. That night, I opened the door and allowed Jesus to work in my life. I grew up Christian but had never truly gotten close to Him until then. That small moment when my dad sent me that verse changed my life forever.