Sitting on the floor of my girlfriend’s kitchen, I found myself exhausted, defeated and covered in soot. Hours beforehand, I had watched five fire trucks line my street as my apartment and all of its contents went up in flames- later realizing that my roommate and I did not have renter’s insurance. It was one of the most defeating moments of my life, knowing that I had very few material possessions left. No clothes aside from the ones I was wearing, no place to live, and no idea what I was going to do next.
We began praying for next steps and unexpected blessings. Little did I know at the time, these unexpected blessings were going to be far more abundant than I could’ve possibly imagined.
Fast-forward three weeks later, and I’m completely overwhelmed by all of the love and support that has been poured out. Not just friends and family, but hundreds of people within multiple Crossfit communities (in New York, New Jersey, and Arizona) have donated their time, money, and bedrooms to help me get back on my feet. Talk about unexpected blessings! I actually reached the point where I began to feel guilty for being so loved and supported. Why me? Why am I being shown so much favor when there are so many others out there who need far more help than I do?
Well, my friends, I’m not sure that I’ll ever really know the answers to those questions, but there are a couple of things that I know for sure…
Number one: I believe that God hits us with all sorts of blessings each day that typically go unnoticed. I believe that He always has and always will want the best for us, all of us, and sometimes He just has some pretty obscure and confusing ways of getting us there.
Number two: I have the absolute best support system of friends and family that I could ever ask for. Some of you I’ve known for years, some of you I’ve known for only months, if that. Regardless of how long we’ve known each other, I’m in awe of all the love you’ve shown me both before and after the fire fiasco.
My biggest thanks to everyone at Bowery Crossfit, Hudson River Crossfit, Crossfit ForeverStrong, Crossfit Buzz, Team Dangerous, Lululemon SoHo and my wonderful friends and family- ya’ll know who you are. You have made more of an impact than you’ll ever know, and for that I am forever grateful and awestruck.
Much love,
Coach Nate