The Presentation of the Fourth Annual Scott Bradley Scholarship

The winner:  Patrick Finley


This is the fourth year for the scholarship.  The winner is selected by the youth leaders and so it is awe-inspiring to see God’s hand in the selection when I hear the winner’s name and hear why they were selected.  

This year has a little bit of a story to go along with it.  See, this year, about 6-8 weeks ago I finally felt ready to let go of Scott’s most prized possession — his kayak — and had posted on Facebook about it being for sale.  A few weeks ago Patrick’s mom had messaged me about Patrick possibly being interested in the kayak.  I suggested that he try it out first as it is more of a specialty kayak and not for everyone.  Patrick came a few days later with a friend to try it out.  When he returned a little later with the kayak, he was quick to say that it wasn’t for him, that he had “taken a bit of a spill.”  Having flipped a kayak myself a few years ago, as well as having seen and heard Scott’s experiences, this made me smile knowing it was a bit of an understatement of the situation!  I’m sure that Patrick has a story to tell about that experience!  

That evening I mentioned to my mom that it would be really special if Patrick won the scholarship this year, with his love for kayaking being a shared passion with Scott.  By now I shouldn’t be surprised by how God works, but when I got the email from Pastor Marc on Thursday to talk about the service today and to tell me that Patrick had won the scholarship, all I could do was laugh.  Pastor Marc shared in his email that Patrick really has a love for outdoor adventure just like Scott and that he loves hiking, climbing and even cliff diving. 


The one thing that was important in Scott’s life was that it was filled with adventure.  He enjoyed dreaming big, having fun, and taking risks.  He understood that life with God is intended to be a great adventure and that God doesn't intend for us to stay in our comfort zone.  Being outside of our comfort zone is necessary to stretch and grow and to learn to rely on God more.   My prayer for you as you graduate, is that you would continue to hold onto God, be willing to step outside your comfort zone, have fun, and grow in faith.

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