Growing up with so much abandonment, Luke Keller came to a point of wanting to end his life. But God just won’t let him!
It was at the end of his junior year when everything in Luke’s life seemed to be all disappointment. His father had left him, his grandmother just passed away, and his grandfather was in jail for molesting a few of his cousins.
“I grew up with so much abandonment. I really, really struggled with separation anxiety.”
Luke became hopeless and the struggle that he had with depression was so real. He didn’t know the purpose of his existence and didn’t even have any plans for the future, and so he came up with the decision of ending his life.
While doing the chores, he was out there mowing the grass, Luke was lost in his thoughts. He began to converse with God, who at that point, was his last option before giving in to suicidal urges. In desperation, he said, “God, I don’t know where else to turn, I’m about to take my life, and I have to turn to somewhere, I’m gonna turn to you. If you’re real, please speak to me.” During his cry of desperation, God answered. In that moment of hopelessness, God renewed Luke’s hope.
“I want you to follow me.” These words from God rescued Luke from his despair. There’s nothing that Luke could do at that moment but to get down on his knees and cry out to God. He was so overwhelmed of how God answered his desperate plea and how God rescued him from the darkness that he was into.
From that moment on, Luke was never the same again. As he accepted Jesus in his life, depression left him instantly along with the suicidal thoughts that he had.
“I wanna glorify God no matter what I can do.” This has been Luke’s desire ever since. Being a football player, he was able to express this desire in the field. After every touchdown, he would just get down on his knees, point his finger up and just show everyone that all the glory belongs to God. After doing this routine a few times, Luke was told by the refs that if he did it again, he would be taken out of the game.
“I was completely devastated,” Luke said. “What I play for is to glorify God. I decided I was just going to do it and if I got thrown out, then I got thrown out. I wouldn’t even be here right now if it wasn’t for God saving me.”
In the midst of his devastation, Luke received a note that totally reminded him to let God. “Be patient and let God work,” written in the note given by her sister. And so he did.
In his next touchdown, Luke didn’t point his finger up to God. But what amazed him was that all the Indian’s fans who were watching their game did the gesture for him.
After that game, Luke still faced a lot of different challenges but he totally remained patient, letting God do His work. His desire to glorify God remains the same up to this day. Luke’s story is a beautiful story of redemption. It’s amazing how God revealed Himself in the midst of desperation and hopelessness. It’s also amazing how Luke found life on the brink of losing it.