Testimony Tuesday: Learning to rest in the Father’s love

By Bella Agnello

Sam Sofio, a sophomore Professional Writing and Information Design, never found it difficult to see that he had a loving father. However, seeing God as a perfect, loving Father proved to be more challenging. 

Sofio grew up in a Christian household just outside of Cincinnati, OH. His parents raised Sofio, his older brother and his younger sister in the church. Though, it was not until later in his life that he experienced a hunger and thirst for God.

During his junior year of high school, Sofio said the prayer in his family’s basement to ask for God to forgive him from all his sins.

“God gave me a great and sudden awareness of my brokenness and how dead in sin I was,” Sofio said. “I fell to the ground and I cried. That was when the real change happened.”

Sofio then ran to his Bible and began reading the Psalms.

“The coolest part was getting up from the ground,” Sofio said. “It was like I was thirsty for the Bible. I had a fire beating in my chest.”

Sofio spent hours reading the Bible, and his relationship with God became stronger and more intimate. And spending time with God extended past simply reading the Bible. Throughout the school day, Sofio found time to focus on Christ by listening to sermons and worship music.

In these moments in between classes, Sofio caught a glimpse of how much God transformed his heart.

“When you see other people in darkness, it grieves you,” Sofio said. “You were there just a couple months ago. But now you’re soaking in the light.”

Around this time, Sofio began considering a life of ministry. After high school, he finished his associate’s degree. He then considered going to Bible school.

In 2020, Sofio’s plans came to a screeching halt when he got diagnosed with Lyme disease. He began to look inwardly for help, rather than to God.

“I viewed God as someone who doesn’t quite love me,” Sofio said. “It’s not a Father who’s rejoicing over you with singing and gladness – it’s someone who demands more and more from you.”

Sofio and his dad took frequent walks to maintain his health, and during these walks they listened to sermons by Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones. His mom also encouraged him in this time, pouring over him with Scripture and reminders of God’s love.

During these four years, Sofio heard a sermon about Aaron facilitating the worship of the Golden Calf rather than the God of Israel. Instead of rejecting Aaron, God clothed Aaron with priestly garments.

“The pastor said that Jesus has washed us clean,” Sofio said. “The very identity of Jesus Christ has become ours and we are fully pleasing to him. The sermon caused me to look outside of myself and caused me to look at who God actually says I am.”

Finally, Sofio understood God to be his Father. He listened to a sermon by Michael Reeves, who posed the question, “Who is God most essentially?”

“There was a time where God had nothing to rule over,” Sofio said. “Jesus says ‘Father, you have loved me before the foundation of the world,’ so God most essentially has always been a Father loving his son through the Spirit.”

Sofio listened to more sermons by Reeves, preaching about the Father’s love for him. In his searching, Sofio finally found his answer.

“Why me? Why did God draw me to himself in love? It was just the compassion and kindness and grace of God,” Sofio said.

Though the journey with lyme disease is still difficult, Sofio knows God used those four years for good that continues to show up and remind him of the Father’s love.

“It was an amazing time in my life, those four years.” Sofio said. “I wouldn’t change it for anything. It was hard, but there was amazing transformation. God opened my eyes to him and the gospel.”

Even still, Sofio wrestles with the same thoughts that plagued him the past four years. But God continues to show up for Sofio as his good and loving Father.

“God is still allowing those thoughts to continue to a degree so I can exercise faith and see who he really is in Scripture,” Sofio said.

When Sofio needs to remember God’s character, he clings to 1 John 4:18, which says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

During this time that God worked on his heart, Sofio began getting stronger and continued treatment for Lyme disease.

On his walks he thought about the future, which seemed so uncertain, and he would talk to God.

“I prayed, ‘Lord, I’ve been trusting you all these years with all my heart, not leaning on my own understanding, and you promise to make straight my paths – so please make straight my paths,’” Sofio said. “I had no expectations for the future. I thought I’d end up doing something I didn’t want to do.”

In January 2024, Sofio’s mom scrolled on Instagram and found out that Shane and Shane were performing at a worship night at Cedarville University. So, she and Sofio attended the Night of Worship with Shane & Shane.

“After the worship night, I had a tinge of sadness wanting to be a part of this community, but I didn’t know if I’d be able to come,” Sofio said. “But my mom said, ‘Just apply.’”

Over the next few months, Sofio received a financial aid package from Cedarville as well as unexpected gifts from family members and friends in the church that made his prayer a possibility.

Now a student at Cedarville University, Sofio soaks in the opportunities. He learns about how the gospel influences the way he writes and sees how to make the gospel known through the various ministries he is involved in on campus, such as Discipleship Groups.

Sofio aspires to write for a Christian ministry where he can help others experience the gospel in a way that makes them “leap and dance for joy,” as the gospel did for him. For now, he is simply looking for opportunities around him to point others to Christ through his writing.

Bella Agnello is a junior Broadcasting, Digital Media and Journalism major with a concentration in Journalism. She enjoys thrifting, listening to records and reading classic Russian literature in her spare time.

*Photo provided by Sam Sofio