My Lifesong

My name is Mark S. Simpson. I'm currently about to enter my senior year at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia with a major in Youth Ministries. God has given me a burning desire to reach the lost and the orphaned. . The following story is totally true and I give God all the glory and honor for what HE has done in my life to influence others.

I was born in India in 1988 to a mother and father I never knew and with a disability that was frowned upon by many. I was born in Bombay India, which today is modern Mumbai where I was taken care of by one of Mother Teresa’s many orphanages. I lived in Bombay, India till I was two and half years old.

I was adopted at age two and a half to a couple who had previously adopted four other small children with special needs. So at the age of two and a half years old, I came to live in Miami, Florida with David and Cheryl Simpson.

I lived with my adopted family in the state of Florida for 5 years, then my father was called into the Ministry in Columbia South Carolina. It was in the Spring of 1997,  that the Simpson family moved to Columbia South Carolina.

Shortly after we moved to Columbia, my father was called by God to start his own Ministry called Wheelchairs Etc. for Jesus. This ministry was used to help people who couldn’t afford medical equipment. My father would let me come help him many times during the afternoon to fix wheelchairs. It was during those times that he and I grew close together as a Father and son. 

I said that I was saved when I was nine years old. But unfortunately, I lived a very unholy life from the ages of nine all the way up to fifteen years old. I lied cheated, stole, deceived everyone around me. I did everything I could to get what I wanted and didn't care who I hurt or deceived in the process. My parents didn't want to see me turn my life bad. So the implored the help of a family friend who just happened to be a police officer. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. I was sitting in my garage with my father when I car pulled up. And out stepped a cop in full uniform. I'll forget that feeling of absolute dread and fatigue that came over me at that moment. He approached me with a kindness I didn't understand but with a sternness that meant business. He told me I had two choices: Either go to jail, or listen to him. I had to many bad stories of jail circulating through my head. And so I decided to let him talk. In doing so, I'll never regret that decision. In an hour not only did he show me what I was doing to my life and to my parents life, but he also showed me what I was doing to God and how I was making God feel. I then realized what a true rebel I had been, and right there and then I recommitted my life to Jesus Christ. It was at this moment that God really began shaping things up. 

As I was growing up, my disability caused me a lot of pain and grief. I was born with twisted legs there were maybe about a foot and a half long. I couldn’t use my legs at all. So when I was 16 years old, I met a man at my church by the name of William Fallaw. This gentleman worked with the Shriner’s Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina. For about a year and a half, the doctors analyzed my condition and it basically boiled down to : “Do I live my life with my pain, or “Do I have my legs amputated to live a better life”. So at the age of 17, both my legs were amputated. And life has never been the same since.

Three weeks after my amputation, I was asked to be the poster child for Shriner’s Hospital for a year. It was a great honor to serve along side those that were helping children left and right. I was able to serve all around the state of South Carolina to the border of North Carolina. God strengthened me beyond what I could ever think or even imagine. I spoke at many events and played songs that really meant a lot to me. One of them was I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me. I never knew what that song really meant to me until after my surgery. And I never knew what it truly meant to trust in Jesus Christ until that day. One of the greatest verses in the Bible that I love so much is Jeremiah 29:11 which boldly proclaims: FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU SAYS THE LORD; PLANS NOT TO HARM YOU BUT TO HELP YOU. PLANS TO GIVE YOU A HOPE AND A FUTURE. I never really understood that verse until that day. God took me on the most amazing rides that year. He used me to reach so many people for His glory.

To this day, I can never explain how I got through those many years of pain and the amputation. The only way I can explain it is that God is the only one that was able to give me the strength to do what I did. In 2008 I was given the honor and the privilege to become and Honorary United States Marine with the South Carolina Marine Corps league. I do not take any glory for receiving that type of honor. There is only one that I give all the glory and honor to. And is the Lord Jesus Christ. I give Him all the glory and honor for what he has done for me in my life. Without God, I would be lost and left alone with no hope. Had I stayed in India, I would have been a beggar on the streets with no hope of Salvation and with no hope of ever being loved by other people. My family has been a huge support to me as well as my dear Aunt Sharyn and Uncle Harry in Texas.

I will never forget the support that I received not only from my mom, dad and sister, but also from my dear friend Ren Lawrence Bray who was my boss and my youth pastor at First Baptist Church in West Columbia SC. If there was ever a person who truly understood me the way I was, it was him. He never hesitated to help me in times of need and in times of pain. He was always there to lend a helping hand and to give encouragement, not only to me but my family as well. Thanks Boss.

And I would especially like to give a huge thank you to my Seacoast family for your undying support and love for me. You guys are God given people and there's no other church I'd rather be. Thank you.

My life is just beginning, and I look forward to what God has in store for my life. But most of all, I cannot wait to see how God is going to use me for to touch other people for his glory and His Honor.