COLLEGE STUDENT'S JONAH STORY HAS HAPPY ENDING

by Angela Baerg
Sean Lemon, a member of Forest Lake Church, Apopka, dreamed of playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He excelled in the sport throughout his high school years at Forest Lake Academy (FLA) where he developed exceptional skills, in part from training with former NBA player Anthony Bowie.
Upon graduation from high school in 2006, Sean took the next step toward achieving his dream—he enrolled at University of Central Florida (UCF) and went to his first basketball tryout, which was held on a Sabbath. During the exercises, Sean broke his ankle, disabling him from completing the tryout.
Discouraged, but determined to try again, he planned for his training to get him back to the same skill level by the same time exactly one year later. Ironically, one month before the second tryout, Sean broke his wrist on his shooting hand in a casual basketball game with friends. “That’s when I realized it wasn’t God’s plan for me to play basketball,” says Sean. “It was my Jonah story. I figured if I didn’t listen, I might get swallowed by a whale!”
With his basketball dream demolished and his grades dwindling to a 1.9 GPA, Sean knew he needed a change, so he followed his high school sweetheart, Jacqueline Soler, to Southern Adventist University in Tennessee. Southern’s environment was different from that of UCF, and Sean initially resented living under Southern’s rules. Four years later, Sean is glad he decided to give them a shot. As a health science major with a 3.34 GPA, he graduated May 1 a different person in many ways from the one he used to be. Sean attributes his turnaround to God’s persistent efforts to pursue him and Southern’s Christian atmosphere of fellowship.
“Now, I appreciate the rules,” he reflects. “I actually feel that having them helped me mature. I’ll probably follow a lot of them for the rest of my life, like having worship every night, going to bed early, and getting things done in a timely manner.”
More than simply following the rules; however, Sean became proactive in pursuing God and helping others. Rather than dreading worships, Sean worked as a resident assistant and often held worships in his room for the dormitory men on his hall.
He also served as vice president of the Wellness Club on campus, organizing activities for college and elementary students, and raising money for charity. He was involved with Flag Camp which connects Southern Adventist University students with local children through football, snacks, and arts and crafts. This past year, Sean received the Student of the Year Award from his department for involvement in both school and community.
Sean’s positive life changes also helped him win over the girl of his dreams. He is engaged to Jacqueline, the high school sweetheart he followed to Tennessee. After graduating, the two returned to their parents’ homes in Florida. Now, they will pursue their masters’ degrees—hers in social work and his in health and business administration and finance. They plan to marry in the summer of 2012.
“God wanted me to be at Southern, though it wasn’t what I wanted at the time,” says Sean. “Before I came to Southern, what I knew about Christ was what I read about Him. Now, I truly understand what He did for me. Being at Southern made me want to live with Christ leading in my life. In any success that I have, I am humbled because it is a testimony to His glory.”