Cedars, November 2018

November 2018 9 CAMPUS James Osborne: Redeemed to Rise by Emma Waywood A lost Christian from a wearisome home, James Osborne found re- deeming love in a Savior that led him to becoming a powerful man of God and gave him a powerful testimony. As an incoming freshman, Osborne had more baggage than most people realized. Coming from Argenta, Illinois, he had a dif- ferent view of what it meant to be a follower of Christ. “Growing up, I thought Christianity was about being in favor with God, and we believed you could lose your salvation,” Os- borne said. These severe doubts about his faith led him down what he referred to as a “dark road” his first year. In the midst of this, his Christian school convicted him in ways that made him extremely uncomfortable. He began to have feelings of distinct animosity toward Cedarville and its stu- dents. It did not help matters that he felt particularly out of place, not only with his background, but with his appearance as well. Osborne has multiple tattoos, long hair, and facial jewelry, making him stand out from the conservative Christian crowd. Even his fiancée, Tasha Peterson, who met him through an online Facebook group before freshman year, agreed that she didn’t like him at all. “At first, we hated each other, and I thought he was super stuck up and preten- tious,” she said. However, the summer after freshman year, when Osborne was painting houses to earn extra money for school, he was led to the Lord. During that time, he explained that everything in his life seemed to be fall- ing apart, from the choices he’d made and life at home. The convictions of the school he went to caused him to turn to the only source of true comfort: God. It was in that moment that Osborne became a true Christ follower, and his life changed forever. Accepted as a chemistry education ma- jor, Osborne soon changed his major to me- chanical engineering. He then changed to computer engineering. Finally, he changed once more to computer science, because he didn’t want to build a boat. All Cedarville engineering students are required to build a cardboard canoe and race it across the lake, and it counts for a majority of their grade. This was a pros- pect Osborne did not find appealing in any way. In fact, as soon as he found out from a buddy what major would not require a card- board boat, he decided to quit engineering. So, using his love of video games as a guide, he became a computer science major in- stead. He did all this before classes started in freshman year. Ironically, he had no clue what the ma- jor entailed, and even ended up having to learn how to properly type on a keyboard at Cedarville. Eventually though, he came to love it. However, his issues at home didn’t magically go away. Apart from growing up in a “toxic church” that twisted the meaning of what it meant to be a follower of Christ, his family also struggled with financial instability and unsaved family members. His father was a mailman, and his mother a school bus driver, so they were classified as what he described as “lower middle class.” Though they had food on the table, there wasn’t much else to go around. This, coupled with his atheist brothers, made for a life of con- stant anxiety and strife. “There was always just a constant lev- el of stress with my family,” he said. “But it went less from my family as a point of stress to my family is a mission field and something to invest into, and I should take the time I do have here to prepare myself to serve.” From the moment he found salvation, Osborne sought to be a consistent minister to his family, going out of his way to talk to his brothers in the hopes of leading them to the Lord. Meanwhile, those around him be- gan to notice the steady change in him. “Becoming more Christ like has really shaped him into a really thoughtful, caring and considerate person,” Peterson said. Computer science professor Dr. David Gallagher also noticed a difference in his student. Gallagher had reservations regard- ing the unique young man. However, he soon found that the change in Osborne had gone far beneath the surface. “I must admit, I had to overcome some initial prejudice concerning his tattoos and facial jewelry.” he said. “But once I could see past that, I came to realize what a great young man James is. It is obvious that he loves the Lord. I am excited to see how the Lord will use James in the future.” Upon graduation, Osborne, now a se- nior, has a job lined up for him in Silicon Valley. There, he and his fiancée plan to get connected to a homeless ministry, some- thing that God had separately placed on both their hearts. “I think society conditions us to be scared of those people, when really, they’re just like us, just in slightly different spots in life,” Peterson said. Looking back on his journey, Osborne hopes that, by sharing his story, he’ll inspire other students around him to reach out and connect with others. “I think here, people who haven’t grown up in my sort of situation almost don’t be- lieve it exists,” Osborne said. “So being able to talk about it to people has been really helpful for them to understand that those mission fields do exist right by us.” Osborne’s experience allows him to help those struggling with tough life situations. “I think his story can help people real- ize it’s never too late to come to the gospel,” Peterson said. “Even if you think that you would look stupid or feel out of place, you won’t look like a fool. Jesus still wants you to come to Him. No matter what.” Emma Waywood is a freshman journal- ism major and an arts and entertainment reporter for Cedars. She enjoys singing in Concert Chorale, watching reruns of Friends, and heavily debating superhero movies. Photo by Tasha Peterson James Osborne has overcome prejudices and hopes his story can help him serve others wherever God leads him.