If you’ve read the latest issue of URBANwell Magazine, you already know that Summer Moon is a special light. I was assigned to meet up with Summer to capture a few more photos of her for this article. My first impression of Summer was the joy on her face. She greeted me with a big smile, and I found the interview transition effortlessly, because I was intrigued by her bright personality. She opened up to tell me about the struggles in her family, and the transition from living with her mom to her dad.
“One of the biggest obstacles I faced was when I quickly had to start living with my dad. It was a new house and new family. It was my turning point. I kept telling myself, ‘I can’t do this alone. I can’t make it through alone.’”
Right around this time Summer’s friend invited her to camp in South Padre. (That sounds like a FUN summer camp. Sign me up!)
“That’s where things changed. I experienced His presence, and from that point on, I’ve seen Him in my life. I know He’s literally gotten me through everything.”
Summer continued to bring up how she looks back and she is thankful for everything she went through, because she sees how God has been able to use her to help her friends.
“People come up to tell me about literally anything. Everytime I just tell them, ‘It’s going to work out.’ Sometimes it’s hard because it doesn’t work out the way we want it to, and there might be a process that’s not fun to get through it, but it’s always going to work out.”
I see in myself that it’s easy for me to deny hard times. It’s easy to let yourself forget they didn’t happen, because the pain doesn’t last as long. It’s hard to open up and share our stories. But, Summer is determined to use her pain for a purpose! She is impacting her community of friends by sharing her story; she is an inspiration to all ages.
I asked Summer how she sees herself using her story to help people in the future. She replied she wants to become a Pediatric nurse, and eventually go on lots of mission trips!
“I want to share the love of Lord. It’s been so awesome to see Him and feel Him in my life. He is so real to me. It changed my life, and I want to share that.”
Summer ended the interview by telling us a story about her lifelong friend coming to Christ. She said she always tells her friends, “I’m going to church if you want to come!” Her friend came, and her Pastor gave an altar call. He said, “No one walks alone.” Summer’s friend asked her to walk down with her! This led to Summer having the opportunity to baptize her lifelong best friend a couple weeks later.
Summer’s friend thanked her for leading her to the church and God. Summer said all she could say was, “It wasn’t me, girl. It’s all Him!”
I loved the opportunity to meet Summer and hear her story. Summer lives her life with a smile on her face, because of the joy she has in her heart. It has inspired me to hear more people’s stories, and share mine, too! Has it inspired you to do the same? #LIVEURBANWELL
