Light in a Dark Place

Light in a Dark Place

By Austin Brackett, Class of 2014

Kernersville, North Carolina

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

            Four summers ago Mount Pisgah Academy’s recruiting team came to my house for a week. They did a lot of good work both for my family and for the community. With all the wonderful things that were going on, it figures that something bad had to happen to dampen the mood.

            The downward spiral of the week began when my dog, Bach, died. It was early Tuesday morning. We found Bach lying on his side in the backyard, breathing heavily. We found out that he had been stuck between his dog house and a fence post. Needless to say, my family was upset. We’d had Bach for 15 years.  Even though it was a terrible event, the recruiting team used it as an opportunity to minister to my family. Stephen Drummond helped my mom make breakfast and Matt Vaughan played with my younger siblings and helped them feel better. It seemed like the hardest times were over, but this was not the case.

            Later that week, we had planned to take the team to a pool near my house. We were all geared up and ready to roll when my mom got a phone call. I knew it wasn’t  good because she dropped the phone, ran out the door, got in the van, and drove off, leaving all of us standing on the doorstep. We were confused at first, but we later found out that my dad had been in a car accident. He and my uncle had been hit and their car had flipped three times, then again over another car, until finally coming to rest on its side. At first I thought he was dead.

            The recruiting team leapt into action again and began to pray with me and my siblings. We had been praying for fifteen minutes when my mother called again. She told us that everything was fine. My dad and uncle were completely unharmed; they didn’t even have to go to the hospital. They did get the day off, however,  and went to the pool with us.

            The recruiting team was a huge blessing in my life that week, and Mount Pisgah Academy has continued to be a blessing to me througout my experience here. I thank God for MPA every day and will never forget the wonderful things this school and the people here have done for me.