Written by Mark Jaloszynski , 12th Rock Vice-President
Storms in life are inevitable. They can come from all different directions. Finances, relationships, politics, natural disasters, sickness and so much more. Sometimes you can see them coming, but most of the time they sneak up on you out of seemingly nowhere. So, preparation is paramount to weather the storms of life.
Jesus said “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
When I was 14 years old, I made a conscience and deliberate decision to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as best I knew how. I was born into a loving home with a father and mother that followed Jesus. They modeled how to have a personal relationship with Jesus as they followed Him, which I am eternally grateful for. This was the beginning of the preparation for what God had planned for my life.
As I approach the start of my 48th trip around the sun, I reflect on my life to see how Jesus has carried me through the various storms that have come my way. One of the most difficult storms in my life came when I was 33 years old. My best friend Jim, who I had known since I was 13, was diagnosed with melanoma cancer. He was 33 at the time of diagnosis, happily married, had three young children, and was a partner in the family business. He had experienced success in all areas of his life, and I looked up to him for that.
The one thing I remember is his passion to share Jesus with anyone who would listen, especially in his last few years leading up to his diagnosis and beyond. There was a big part of me that did not understand why. He handled the next 2 years with strength and resilience as he fought the cancer, as he prepared his family for what was next, trusting in God’s sovereignty all the way to the end. In May of 2012, I dug his grave and along with family and friends laid him to rest. What a storm! This one rocked me.
Prior to Jim’s diagnosis, my brother Greg and I were operating a successful landscape design/build business. We had a handful of employees and enjoyed the work. God blessed the business, as we were able to both purchase homes to raise our families, as well as provide for our employees. I loved the work, but just a few months before Jim’s diagnosis I found myself discontented with the work. I was beginning to have a hard time selling work and motivating myself to design the next project. God was beginning to stir a new passion in me, as I began to understand the brevity of life. Now that I look back, I can see how God was preparing me for what was to come. By God’s grace, I was able to recognize this preparation because I was spending regular time with Jesus, by reading His word (the Bible) and being in close relationships with other believers. Matthew 7:24-27 talks about two different builders, one builds his house on the rock and the other builds his on the sand. When the storms of life came, which Jesus promises will come. Guess whose house stood? Jim’s did by God’s grace, and so did mine! Unbeknownst to me, God was preparing me for this storm since I decided to follow him all those years ago.
In the aftermath of that storm, God called to mind, Jim’s passion to share Jesus with others. I was awakened to a new understanding of how short life is, and that every day is a gift. Not long after, I decided that I needed to do something with eternal value.
Hebrews 9:26-28 tells us that we only have one life to live, in that time we need to decide whether to trust Jesus with our lives. Once we die, we face God’s judgement. If you have trusted Jesus, believing that he died for your sins and rose from the grave, He promises that you will have eternal life. Instead of seeing your sins on the day of judgement, He will see Jesus, who was the perfect sacrifice for your sins. Unfortunately, the opposite is true, if you chose not to trust Jesus, you would spend eternity in hell, separated from God.
This is a hard truth to swallow, but Jesus demonstrates His love for us that while we were sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8) We have all sinned and fall short of His standard and His glory (Romans 3:23). Sin brings about death here on earth and eternal death in hell, separated from Jesus. But Jesus offers a free gift, eternal life with Him (Romans 6:23). He is so patient with us, not wanting anyone to die, without this eternal truth being told to them (II Peter 3:9).
Over the next two years or so, God began to show me what was next for me and my family, as I began to take intentional steps in the direction of doing something of eternal value. The storm of Jim’s diagnosis and death brought about new life. Faithful to His promise, that God will bring good out all that comes at those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Jim’s death was a pivotal point in my decision to dissolve the landscape business and step full time into 12th Rock Sports. Over the last 12 years plus, I have had the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus, as described above, with countless people. The storms have not subsided, they have only increased in frequency and intensity. The most recent being, the loss of my mentor and good friend Glenn to brain cancer in 2024. But, God has faithfully carried me through all of them. His unmerited favor has been more than sufficient for me. All glory to Him who is worthy of all my praise!
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