Issue 2 | 2023

Right: God has
restored Mike’s
relationship with
his grandmother,
Glenda, and
mother, Sandra,
and healed their
lives.
Far right: Mike
serves as FCA’s
character coach
for the ECU
football team.
I HAD MY PLAN.
GOD HAD A
DIFFERENT ONE.
Guiding me. Drawing
me to Himself.
My faith grew by
leaps and bounds.
We knew God was
with us as we prepared
for yet another
child. We’d planned to move back to North Carolina
immediately after graduation, but Tanya went into labor
twelve weeks early.
Our son was born dead. I’ll never forget his blue face
and the panic on the faces of the nurses. Thank God,
he was resuscitated, but he would spend the next two
months in an incubator.
Tanya and I visited him every day, as did prayer teams
from Rhema. God answered our prayers and healed our
son, but our bank account was depleted. This was a true
test of faith, and I was failing.
By the time we got back to North Carolina, we were
not only broke, we were in a deep financial hole. We
had nothing to our name, and I felt like a failure as
we moved in with Tanya’s mother.
No matter how hard I worked, we consistently fell
short. Depression overtook me, and I considered returning
to the streets. I knew how to make money there—I
could get us out of this mess! My friend Travis talked
me down. He and I had run together in junior high until
he was sent to prison for robbery.
“Mike,” he said, “I’m doing enough time for the both of
us. Get another job. Don’t go back to the streets.” Travis
had always been there for me.
I took his advice and picked up extra jobs. I worked at
Chick-fil-A, coached football, was a teacher’s assistant,
and drove the bus. But we still struggled.
“Where are You, God?” He seemed lost. Or maybe I
was lost or had missed some direction from Him.
At Rhema, I had learned that when you feel you’ve
lost connection to God, think back to the spot you left
Him. God doesn’t go anywhere; He doesn’t abandon His children
(Deuteronomy 31:6).
The last time I’d heard clearly from God was when He told me to
go to Rhema. I wondered if I’d made a mistake coming back here.
Maybe we should go back to Oklahoma. I asked God to forgive me
and to give me direction. Not long after, a friend told me about a
local position at Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
“Man, they ain’t gonna hire someone like me.” I was a guy from
the hood who knew nothing about nonprofits or raising financial
support. I didn’t have connections with successful and respectable
business leaders in the community. My only connections were
on the street, and those guys weren’t looking for a tax write-off!
But God showed me that I only needed Him. I didn’t need connections
or special qualifications; I just needed a willing heart.
He blessed me with a position as the FCA area rep. Within two
years, I was overseeing more than a thousand kids who were
drawn to the authenticity of my message and could identify with
my upbringing and experiences.
In 2022, the Lord allowed me to return to the gridiron at East
Carolina University, not as a player, but as a character coach for
the ECU football team under the umbrella of FCA. Today, I am
connecting with young men who are looking for hope, stability,
and a father figure, just as I was at their age. What a privilege I
have, sharing what I’ve learned (and am still learning) as I help
them navigate their emotions.
Right now, God is teaching me about humility and serving others.
Before, I had freedom to do things my way. Now, I’m working
under the authority of other coaches and leaders, and it’s a new
experience. God is helping me lay down my pride.
A never-ending growth is part of the Christian journey. It’s not
always easy or comfortable, but it’s worth it. If you’re willing to
do the work with God, He will bless your life in ways you never
dreamed (Ephesians 3:20).
You can’t change the past—no one can. But with God, you can
change your future.
MIKE JENKINS is the FCA character coach at East Carolina University. He is
passionate about helping young men find their identity in Christ.
PHOTOS BY GERI SIMPKINS PHOTOGRAPHY
20 Issue 02 / 2023 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM