Who I Am (an introductory essay)

Greetings! My name is Austin Fahnestock. I live in Reinholds, Pennsylvania, have five siblings and, at the age of eighteen, I am the oldest in my family. There are a great many things I could say about myself, but I am going to name only the three things that I am most passionate about and that I see as most significant in any description of my person: my faith, my purpose, and the gifts that I have been given to accomplish that purpose.

            First and foremost in my life is my belief that God created man in His image, that man sinned and was cursed, and now exists in a fallen state, and that God, out of His incomprehensible love for us sent His son to die and redeem us to Him. It is from this belief that I know my value, that I know the value of others, that I am saved, and that I have life, and by God’s grace, life abundantly. He is the beginning and end of who I am. It is His truth that is changing me, and it is from Him that I receive my purpose.

            The purpose of my existence is to bring glory to God, to tell of His goodness, and to testify to His love and truth. In the everyday, this means that I seek to reflect Him in all of my encounters with other people; it means I am constantly seeking better relationships with God and others. A small, but important, piece of my purpose is my ambition of entering the field of counseling. I am especially passionate about men and women learning about and being set free from sexual bondage, and what it means to be men and women of God.

            Lastly, I would like to mention the gifts God has given me to bring glory to Him. First, God has given me the gift of music, which bears testament to me of who He is, and which I use to bear testament to others of Him. I play the piano and sing, and have a deep love of classical music. Also, God has given me a very sensitive spirit, and as such I am a very emotional person, who feels very deeply not only my own pain and joy, but also the pain and joy of others. I seek to use this in such a way that I can be a safe place for people to open up the painful areas of their lives, and ultimately experience God in those areas. Finally, I am a scholar. I love reading, studying, trying to wrap my mind around large concepts, and am enthusiastic about learning and understanding the world around me. God has given me my intellect, and I intend to use it for His glory.

            While there is a great deal more that could be said, I believe that I have given a brief, but accurate reflection of who I am. I look forward to the year ahead, and what I can learn to further God’s kingdom.