If you’re on my Facebook, you’re probably aware I had a birthday today. I don’t have my birthday publicly displayed, so I thought I could fly under the radar.

It didn’t take long for people to break the silence.

Today definitely didn’t go as I expected it to. But, that’s a good thing. I’ve reached an age milestone in reaching 30, and I thought I would have this thought in my head that told me, “meh, look where you are now: 30, single, and sleep deprived.” But, apparently, God had something different planned for me.

Something that I’ve always known became very clear to me today: I am here for a reason. Age is just a number. I’m single because the time isn’t right for me not to be. I’m sleep deprived because I try to squeeze everything I can out of my every waking minute. Being single has allowed me to do things with those waking minutes I might not be able to do otherwise. I get to spend a free evening playing guitar with a student I’ve known since he was little. I get to, on a whim, head across town to my sister’s house to play hide and seek with her kids. I get to volunteer to coach an indoor soccer team. I get to follow around that same soccer team in the fall in their outdoor season giving high fives, baking cookies, and jumping and cheering like a fool in the good times and bad. I get to spend time with my youth group kids in Wooster. I get to make silly videos to promote the youth events. And there are many more things I get to do.

I’m not going to lie and say there haven’t been times where I wondered what the point is of me doing the things I do. When I get to those points, God ends up doing something to show me that there is a reason for it all. And today, I guess He decided he was going to pour on all kinds of love.

This is me trying to publicly thank everyone who showed their appreciation for me today. My co-workers who put together a cake and ice cream gathering without my knowledge, one of my best friends putting my face on a picture of a silly bobblehead for the frosting of said cake, my family for always being there to love and support me, my friends I’ve had for years who always remember me, my church family who loves and supports me as well, my soccer sisters who seem to know when I need a kind word to give me confidence to keep moving whether it be photography or coaching, and the rest of my new friends and family through the soccer program at Clear Fork…

…thank you all. I am the man I am today because of the collaborative effort of you all standing beside me and behind me with your love and support.

Thanks for reading,
Jon Cole