Called According to God’s Purpose – David Martin

Called According to God’s Purpose – David Martin

When I first met David Martin, he gave me a hello, a warm smile, and a compliment (he liked my earrings). Even though I didn’t know him well, he had a way of making me feel welcomed.

His Program Specialist, Paul Ashway, describes his personality: “David has major empathy towards co-workers and staff.  He is interested in others and will ask people how they are doing.”

David has been coming to Lighthouse since 1993 and now participates in the STEP Program three days a week.  The STEP program is the best of both worlds. It includes working half a day in vocational training (earning a paycheck) and half a day in Strengthening Pathways—our enrichment program. “I like to be productive,” he says.

His supervisor, Correen Breiner, describes his work ethic: “Hard worker, fast, focused— talkative and responsible.” David’s favorite job in production is packaging the colorful paints. “It reminds me of the rainbow,” he says.

In the afternoon, he joins in the creative day program Strengthening Pathways which includes worship music, exercise, card-making, baking, cooking and an educational curriculum.  When asked about his favorite activity, his answer was surprising: “I like when we do math—we do addition,” David says.

One thing that is evident with David is his great love for the City of Brotherly Love. Nearly every day he dons a tee shirt with a Philadelphia sports team impressed upon it.  He wears the Phillies, Eagles, or 76ers as a uniform, and in case you were curious about his football allegiance, he carries an Eagles backpack and lunch bag.

Outside of Lighthouse, David enjoys reading sports books about Philadelphia teams and collecting sports cards.  When asked if he had ever gone to a Phillies game, he recalled watching the Phillies battle the Blue Jays many years ago. “My brother and I went. He bought me a Pepsi and a soft pretzel. The Phillies lost 15-14.”

During the spring and summer, David enjoys going to the Barnstormer games. His family has season passes and he watches between 10-20 games a season. While at the local stadium, he enjoys watching the pitcher throw fast balls, going to the food area, and finishing off the night by experiencing the festive fireworks.

Many of David’s favorite foods can be found at the stadium: fried chicken, hot dogs and mac & cheese made with Velveeta.  His favorite dessert is Yum-Yum pudding which is made with vanilla pudding and ice cream. “It would be a great idea if Strengthening Pathways made that,” David remarks.

David lives with his father and has one brother and sister-in-law that he considers a sister.  As a supportive uncle, he watched his nephew’s basketball games at Ephrata High School. (His nephew now goes to Messiah University).

When asked if there was anything else he wanted to speak about, David said, “What about asking me about my favorite Bible verse?”  His favorite verse is Romans 8:28—which says:

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” He then spoke about trusting God: “Put your burdens at the cross. You don’t have to carry it,” he says with conviction.

By conversing with him, you can see David’s faith is an important part of his life.  Every Sunday he goes to church with his father. He describes his church as a “small church with great people.” He volunteers as a greeter and helps to pass out the bulletins.  You can imagine through David’s smile and genuine interest in people, that he would make visitors feel at home.

It was an honor speaking with David. In many ways, we can all learn a lot from him– be the first person to say hello, always give compliments, be an encourager, be loyal to your teams and most of all– treasure your faith.

~ Emily Bauman, Marketing

& Communications Assistant