God's Plans Differ from My Own: Jaylon King

I was never an outgoing person, and this has labeled me an “outsider” for most of my life. I didn’t see a point in having allies growing up. I had gotten used to being alone. I was complacent with what I had become. I would tell myself that friends only get in the way of what really matters; at the time my desire to succeed triumphed over everything else. I thought that friends were just a means to an end. That was very selfish of me. Those were ignorant thoughts by an ignorant child. I know far better now than to take the people in my life for granted. My ideology completely changed when I was introduced to The Wesley Foundation and the good people who are a part of it. I’m only sad I didn’t rethink my opinion sooner.

The very first friend I made during my tenure as a student at LA Tech was a very tall and charismatic guy named Chase Lenard. Chase first introduced himself to me in the LA Tech cafeteria; I was eating alone, and he wanted to say hello. He informed me of an Area 51 party that was going down at The Wesley Foundation. I took this as God's way of saying, “Your plan is stupid; follow mine instead.” I ultimately accepted God’s invitation. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. After the actual event itself was over, the hosts invited people to praise and sing songs in worship. The deciding factor for whether I would come back or not was their wonderful rendition of Tasha Cobbs’ “He Knows My Name.” I had never heard this song before, and yet the lyrics spoke to my soul in a way I’ve never felt. I was on the verge of balling my eyes out. After the song was over, I had the pleasure of meeting the current director and man with the plan, the honorable Ryan Ford. We had a short conversation about the various events and activities I could participate in. At the time I was still on the fence about making friends, but this brief conversation and the wonderful music are what ultimately convinced me to stay. 

Fast forward a couple of weeks and I’ve found my place; Wesley has become somewhat of a second home for me. I joined a small group of like-minded individuals to read and discuss the intricacies of the Bible with. That’s when I met Akin Bailey, one of the coolest, most caring people you’ll ever meet. Akin was the second person to get me to step out of my comfort zone; he convinced me to go fishing, woods exploring, hammocking, and we even got to chill out and make sand castles at a beach. I also tried my hand at making bread for communion. I guess it’s safe to say I did much more than simply “step” out of my comfort zone. In fact, I believe my zone of comfort became more of a dome big enough to share with those I trusted the most. As I was making leaps and bounds in expanding my comfort zone, I was making an equal amount of progress in understanding the Bible and the hardships Jesus had to face in his life.

We all know that God is a loving, compassionate, and understanding God, and the good people at The Wesley Foundation reflected these attributes beautifully. I’ve never met a person there who made me feel lesser. I’ve never met a person there who didn’t genuinely care about me. And that’s why I’ve never felt closer to God than when I regularly visited Wesley. Those friends I made helped me find hope in this world. I truly believe I left Wesley a completely different person than when I went in. 

I’ll leave you with this. I’m a lazy recluse; I have been for most of my life. Friendship is a concept I often struggle to grasp. As soon as I stepped on campus, I planned to be as unnoticeable as possible. To my surprise this plan of mine was foiled the very first day. The days, weeks, and months that followed were some of the best memories I have ever made. The Wesley Foundation showed me I shouldn’t be afraid to meet new people and try new things. Everyone at The Wesley Foundation had a positive impact on my life. Each event I went to, each activity I participated in, and each conversation I was a part of changed me for the better. Although I should have spent more time studying than I did at The Wesley Foundation, I have no regrets. When my grades inevitably started to slip, and my mood started to take a nosedive, I received a wave of outstanding support from my good buddies over at The Wesley Foundation. I never felt like an outsider when I was there. I often felt like family. I felt like I had genuine friends who would help me if I needed it. 

College can be challenging for anyone. I know from experience, it can throw stuff at you at Mach speed and expect you to think fast. Having someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on can be invaluable during difficult times. I kept thinking back to the beginning and came to the conclusion that if I hadn’t gone to that Area 51 party, then I wouldn’t have met those amazing people. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to meet new friends and have new experiences through The Wesley Foundation.

Jaylon King joined our Wesley community last year as a freshman. His big smile, love of anime, and frequent phone calls to his parents (sometimes on speaker so we can join!) are just a few of the things that make Jaylon a joy to know and be around. We’ve missed seeing Jaylon this past year as he took a break from school but have stayed in contact and hope that we’ll see him back in Ruston soon!