From Surviving to Thriving
Join the Story | Lindell Servis
Having experienced a life-changing transformation through Jesus, Lindell Servis has dedicated his life to serving God and others. Check out his story in this Join the Story video. The following Blog post, in Question and Answer format, goes deeper into what the Lord has done in his life.
Q: What are some challenges you faced earlier in your life?
A: Growing up, I struggled with feelings of self-worth, impatience, anxiety and finding purpose. By the age of six, I had been through as many foster homes as I had years of life. I was in and out of foster care until I was adopted as a young teen.
Up until then, I was just trying to survive. I am thankful for my adoptive family and what they did for me. But even they couldn’t fill the void I felt, and there were still a variety of challenging family dynamics.
As a young adult, I joined the Marines, finally giving me the opportunity I’d dreamed of since I was a boy. I am forever grateful for the time I served, yet we faced many traumatic events that left a lasting impact. When I left the Marines, I wasn’t prepared for what lay ahead. Adjusting to life outside the military was a struggle. I lost my temper easily, was constantly irritated and paralyzed by fears.
I had a new family, but I started to lose control over my life, and I found solace in alcohol. Though I managed to keep a job, my nights were spent drinking until I passed out, only to wake up and repeat the cycle. I attempted suicide twice.
Q: You had a wake-up call. What was it?
A: This pattern persisted until one day while driving to State College for work, I stumbled upon the K-LOVE radio station after losing my usual station. God had already been working through my customers, planting seeds in my life, and this station was the sign I needed.
I heard a woman’s story about how she was ready to drive off a cliff until she found K-LOVE, which saved her. I thought, if God could save her, He could save me too. I prayed, asking God to turn my life around, promising to attend church if He did.
And He did – though it took me three months to fulfill my promise. Once again, God used the radio station to reach me. They talked about people making empty promises to God and how it’s never too late to turn to Him. That was my wake-up call.
Q: When did you go “all in” for Jesus?
A: In 2018, I dedicated my life to Jesus. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I went “all in” and became fully devoted to Him. Experiencing His grace and love, I felt complete. I finally knew what I’d been missing and wanted to share that love with others. For the past 2 ½ years, I’ve been attending CLA in person and feel the love and care of fellow believers.
Q: How do you find purpose?
A: I began serving in several areas at CLA because I want people to see that God loves them. I have found my purpose in the Lord and through serving others.
As a child, I remember standing in line for free food, and the kindness shown by the people who served us had a lasting impact. I’m honored to be able to volunteer behind the scenes at Breads Food Market and serve those facing challenging times.
As a veteran, the connection I’ve found through Out of the Trenches has been a staple in my walk with the Lord. It means so much to have a group of fellow veterans who have a common understanding of what we faced…all the while pointing our lives back to Jesus, finding purpose in Him and serving together.
I volunteer as a Buddy with Impact Kids, a ministry at CLA that matches an adult volunteer Buddy with a child who needs some extra support during our CLA Kids services. I love serving as a Buddy and seeing how far the child I’m matched with has come playing with other kids, sharing her toys and growing in her faith.
I also participated in the Christmas Wonderland drama for the first time last month. I was nervous, but the patience shown to me by my fellow cast as I learned was amazing. It was another example that showed me the grace I’d been missing for many years.
Q: How has God shown up in your life?
A: God has consistently shown up, which can be easy to take for granted. I’ve learned to be thankful and answer God’s call on my life. I know Jesus has always been with me and is always in control. He saved me from the darkest places when I was left to my own devices.
Today, I strive to show the love God has shown me in all I do, seeking ways to serve others just as Jesus has served us. I’m a work in progress, but He’s shown up for me in big and small ways. And I know He’s not done with me yet!
Q: What are some challenges you faced earlier in your life?
A: Growing up, I struggled with feelings of self-worth, impatience, anxiety and finding purpose. By the age of six, I had been through as many foster homes as I had years of life. I was in and out of foster care until I was adopted as a young teen.
Up until then, I was just trying to survive. I am thankful for my adoptive family and what they did for me. But even they couldn’t fill the void I felt, and there were still a variety of challenging family dynamics.
As a young adult, I joined the Marines, finally giving me the opportunity I’d dreamed of since I was a boy. I am forever grateful for the time I served, yet we faced many traumatic events that left a lasting impact. When I left the Marines, I wasn’t prepared for what lay ahead. Adjusting to life outside the military was a struggle. I lost my temper easily, was constantly irritated and paralyzed by fears.
I had a new family, but I started to lose control over my life, and I found solace in alcohol. Though I managed to keep a job, my nights were spent drinking until I passed out, only to wake up and repeat the cycle. I attempted suicide twice.
Q: You had a wake-up call. What was it?
A: This pattern persisted until one day while driving to State College for work, I stumbled upon the K-LOVE radio station after losing my usual station. God had already been working through my customers, planting seeds in my life, and this station was the sign I needed.
I heard a woman’s story about how she was ready to drive off a cliff until she found K-LOVE, which saved her. I thought, if God could save her, He could save me too. I prayed, asking God to turn my life around, promising to attend church if He did.
And He did – though it took me three months to fulfill my promise. Once again, God used the radio station to reach me. They talked about people making empty promises to God and how it’s never too late to turn to Him. That was my wake-up call.
Q: When did you go “all in” for Jesus?
A: In 2018, I dedicated my life to Jesus. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I went “all in” and became fully devoted to Him. Experiencing His grace and love, I felt complete. I finally knew what I’d been missing and wanted to share that love with others. For the past 2 ½ years, I’ve been attending CLA in person and feel the love and care of fellow believers.
Q: How do you find purpose?
A: I began serving in several areas at CLA because I want people to see that God loves them. I have found my purpose in the Lord and through serving others.
As a child, I remember standing in line for free food, and the kindness shown by the people who served us had a lasting impact. I’m honored to be able to volunteer behind the scenes at Breads Food Market and serve those facing challenging times.
As a veteran, the connection I’ve found through Out of the Trenches has been a staple in my walk with the Lord. It means so much to have a group of fellow veterans who have a common understanding of what we faced…all the while pointing our lives back to Jesus, finding purpose in Him and serving together.
I volunteer as a Buddy with Impact Kids, a ministry at CLA that matches an adult volunteer Buddy with a child who needs some extra support during our CLA Kids services. I love serving as a Buddy and seeing how far the child I’m matched with has come playing with other kids, sharing her toys and growing in her faith.
I also participated in the Christmas Wonderland drama for the first time last month. I was nervous, but the patience shown to me by my fellow cast as I learned was amazing. It was another example that showed me the grace I’d been missing for many years.
Q: How has God shown up in your life?
A: God has consistently shown up, which can be easy to take for granted. I’ve learned to be thankful and answer God’s call on my life. I know Jesus has always been with me and is always in control. He saved me from the darkest places when I was left to my own devices.
Today, I strive to show the love God has shown me in all I do, seeking ways to serve others just as Jesus has served us. I’m a work in progress, but He’s shown up for me in big and small ways. And I know He’s not done with me yet!
Posted in God Answers Prayer, God Is With Us, God\'s Power In Our Weakness, Join the Story
Posted in Prayer, Purpose, Grace, Serving, Thankfulness
Posted in Prayer, Purpose, Grace, Serving, Thankfulness
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