Lawson Short

May 2015

Page 1

Autobiographical Statement
Making the decision to apply to seminary is not something that a man should take lightly. For
me, the process has been a long one that included many personal struggles, and a lot of prayer. It seems
that God has led me on a journey throughout the span of my entire life that was preparing me to do His
work in His world.
My journey began 22 years ago, on a rainy Easter Sunday. On April 19, 1992, I was born to Larry
and Sandy Short at Neosho Memorial Hospital in Chanute, Kansas. My life as a child of God began that
day as well, as my parents had me baptized on that same day in the hospital by their pastor, Rev Paul
Shnelle of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Erie, KS.
From then on, I continued to grow, both in faith and in physical stature. God blessed me with a
family that is strong in the Christian faith, and that has a rich heritage within the Missouri Synod
Lutheran church. In fact, my Uncle Conrad Oehlert is the pastor at St Johns Lutheran Church, Hooker,
OK, and my moms first cousin, Lynn Spencer is the pastor at St Johns Lutheran Chuch, Meade, Ks and
Peace Lutheran Church, Beaver, OK, and both are graduates of Concordia Ft. Wayne. Attending
corporate worship and the reading and teaching of the bible in the home has always been a strong
tradition in our family, and one that my parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles regularly practice.
In our house, my father reads the Portals of Prayer or Treasury of Daily Prayer devotional after every
evening meal, which includes scripture readings and a daily message. When I was younger, after my dad
read the scripture, my mother would often ask my sister and I questions about the readings, and in
doing so would teach us daily about scriptural truths. They also regularly took us to Sunday School and
Church and even drove 15 miles so that we could attend Lutheran preschool at Grace Lutheran Church
Iola, KS. I believe that thru hearing Gods Word in church and these daily scriptural teachings at home
from an early age gave my sister and I a strong foundation of faith that is still with us today.
While I was born in Chanute, Ks, I spent most of my life living in Pratt, Ks. We moved to Pratt
when I was five years old, as my father had accepted a teaching position at the local community college.
My father had many job offers in different locations in Kansas and Oklahoma, but the reason he chose
Pratt was due to the fact that there was a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church in the area; St. Paul Lutheran
Church of Preston, Ks. Pastor Michael Schotte was, and still is, the pastor in that small rural church,
located 5 miles outside of Pratts city limits. Again as a family we continued to regularly attended
Sunday school classes and church services there, both my sister and I attended midweek confirmation
classes from 2nd grade till 8th grade, and my sister and I both were part of our churches middle school
and high school youth group.
It was during this period of my life that I, unknowingly, had the first signs that God was calling
me to do his work. I remember vividly, that every time I would hear teaching about evangelism, or the
reading of the Great Commission, I would be troubled and feel some amount of guilt. I remember lying
on my bed at night, after hearing such readings or teachings, and thinking to myself, If spreading the
news of the gospel is our main purpose in life, then should I not run away from my parents and my
home to go and spread the gospel? Should I not give up everything I have, and devote myself fully to
Gods purpose? I could then think of many reasons why leaving would not be right, and today I
understand how a Christian can be a witness to Christ in his everyday life. But now, looking back, I feel
that God, through his word, was preparing me to do his work in the ministry.

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While God was preparing me for his work through his Church, he also was teaching me how to
be a good steward in this world. A couple of years after we moved to Pratt, my parents bought an old
overgrown Christmas tree farm 3 miles from town, and we moved there. As time went on, my parent
developed their own nursery and landscaping business, which they call Pratt Tree Farm. The farm was
ran and operated by my mother and father, and we did not have any employees. I began helping with
work in the business when I was 10 years old, and I continued to help my family in the business until I
graduated from high school. Work in the landscaping business is physically taxing, and I learned not
only how to work hard, but I also learned the importance of doing things the right way.
Working at home was not the only place where I learned about hard work. When I was in the
5 grade, I began to play organized football. Our public school system did not have organized football
available for students till they were in 8th grade. I really wanted to play, so my parents had to pay for me
to play in the local private football league. The practices were tough and demanding, and after the first
week, I wanted to quit. My parents would not let me, as they had to pay for me to play in the league,
and also because they wanted me to at least finish the season I started. As the season went on, I
improved and developed a strong passion for the sport. The work ethic that I learned at home and the
passion I had for the sport, resulted in my playing from 5th grade all through high school, and being
strongly recruited to play football into my college years.
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Life went well for me during my early years in Pratt, and before I knew it, I was about ready to
finish middle school and be confirmed. At the age of 15, right before the end of my 8th grade year, I was
confirmed in our church by Pastor Schotte. It was a wonderful experience. At the Lords Table, I came to
truly understand those words I had heard so often spoken during communion, about the peace which
surpasses all understanding. Often, we know in our minds that we are forgiven, yet sometimes in our
hearts we feel the doubts and worries that come from our sinful nature. But at communion, I feel those
worries and fears wash away off of my heart, and enjoy that peace of which Paul speaks about in his
epistle to the Philippians.
While we as Christians often see and experience Gods goodness and mercy in this world, just as
often we experience the dreadful results of the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature. Just a few
months after I was confirmed, I began to have extreme pain in my left thigh and knee. After consulting
many different doctors, we finally found that I had a rare benign tumor in my left femur. Due to its
rarity, many doctors did not know how to properly treat it, and many of the initial treatment options
given in our area would have caused me to have extensive surgeries, which would not only have
impaired my health, but could have ended my career in football. After 3 months of searching, God
answered my prayers. We found a specialist in Boston who could kill the tumor in a noninvasive way.
The treatment was successful, and I was able to walk out of the hospital in Boston on the same day as
the surgery with a band-aide on my leg. Through this experience, God showed me the importance of
endurance, and holding fast to him, as he hears and answers all prayers.
After this experience, I continued to progress through high school. During high school I
continued to work for my father, but I also took another job working for a neighbor, Joe Reynolds, who
has a sprinkler system business. My experience with landscaping made me a good candidate for the job,
and I enjoyed working for him. Also during this time of my life, I excelled both on the football field and
in the classroom. I was all-state football team honorable mention and captain of my football team
during my senior year. In the classroom, I got good grades, and was a valedictorian of my class.
Through these experiences God showed me the importance of hard work and how to handle success.

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As my high school graduation drew nearer, I did again consider whether or not to enter the
ministry, and in general I tried to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. At that time, I was not
sure whether or not I was called into the ministry, and I decided that if I did not know, then maybe I was
not supposed to go. Yet looking back, it was not a matter of whether or not I was supposed to enter the
ministry, but rather it was not the proper time for me to do so. Instead, I was heavily recruited and my
heart was set on continuing to pursue the sport I enjoyed. So after checking out the college and finding
Independence had an LCMS congregation, Zion Lutheran Church, I signed on to play football for the
Independence Community College Pirates.
While God had taught me how to handle success in high school, during my first semester at
community college, he taught me how to handle failure. I was a starter for the football team my first
semester, and during that first season we lost every single one of our games. Not only that, but, for the
first time in my life, my grades were not all As as well. This is the first time in my life that I had faced
such adversity, and it was tough. But, when I look back, there was never a time in my life when I was
closer to my Lord than during this humbling experience. God forced me to lean on him during this time,
and he gave me the strength to endure through it. Thankfully the Lord also provided me with faithful
members at Zion Lutheran while I was away from my family that helped me through this tough time.
The next semester at ICC went much better than the first one did. During the offseason, I got a
temporary job as a tutor for the college, and I tutored my peers in mathematical subjects. I found I
enjoyed teaching others and helping them learn. The tutoring experience helped me gain skills using
techniques to help facilitate other peoples comprehension.
During my final semester at ICC, our football team did better. During the first half of the season
I lead the Jayhawk conference for interceptions, and we won half of our games that season. I was also
awarded with the Lamar James Football Award. Lamar James was a former coach at ICC, who died of a
massive heart attack at the age of 31. The award was given to the athlete on the team who showed the
greatest amount of leadership and character, both on and off of the field. I felt that God showed me in
this award, that he was still with me through all trials, and that people do notice when you walk through
this life as a child of God.
In December 2012, I graduated from ICC with my Associates Degree in Math. At the end of that
football season, I acquired injuries in both my shoulder and my knee. I realized after that season that my
career in football was not what God had planned for me, and I decided to pursue a career in Engineering
at Kansas State University. I then moved to Manhattan, KS, to start the spring semester at K-State. I
chose to attend Kansas State University for 2 reasons, the first being that the college has a very strong
engineering program, and because of the strong and faithful LCMS church and LCMSU College youth
group near to campus.
Moving someplace new is not always easy, and this was the case for me when I began my first
semester at K-State. The engineering classes I took at K-State were more challenging than the ones I
had taken at Independence, and I had to learn how to better manage my time, and I also had to improve
my study habits. It also took time for me to get used to the large university setting, as I had always lived
in a small town. But the Lord took care of me, as He always has, and one of the ways he did so was by
providing me with a tutoring job. I tutored students for K-State in mathematical subjects, and this not
only provided me with income, but it also helped strengthen my understanding of mathematical
fundamentals, which are crucial to engineering. It also strengthened my skills in how to facilitate other
peoples comprehension of different subjects. This was not the only way the Lord helped me. He also
helped me in a much more important way, through His church. During my first week at K-State, I

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attended the Universities activity fair. My sister had previously attended K-State, and during her time
there she had been a member, and president, of the LCMSU youth group at K-State. So she told me to
look for their booth at the activity fair, and at that booth I met a man who would be a very influential
part of my life, Pastor King Crawford. Pastor King was, and still is, the campus ministry pastor for LCMSU
at K-State. He helps lead the groups bible studies, helps plan and prepare activities and events in our
group, and overall I would say he is the driving force that helps keep the youth group alive. Besides
being our campus ministry pastor, King Crawford is the pastor for a local LCMS church right outside of
Manhattan, Christ Lutheran Church.
The LCMSU youth group at K-State is very active. The group holds bible studies for college
students on Tuesday nights, and Table talk fellowship meals on Sunday afternoons. Our group also has
Vesper services on Thursday nights, led by Pastor King. Finally, we have fellowship activities each
month, and we attend local and national youth gatherings.
During my first semester at K-State, I regularly attended most all of the events the LCMSU youth
group had to offer. One special event I attended that semester was the Region 5 LCMSU youth retreat,
which I really enjoyed. This retreat occurs every spring, and LCMSU youth group members from all
around Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, come together for a weekend of fun, fellowship, and worship.
We had around 15- 20 members attend, and I enjoyed getting to know the other students.
While I enjoyed being a part of the youth group at K-State, I also regularly attended church at
the local LCMS church in town, St. Lukes Lutheran Church. Michael Schmidt is the pastor for St. Lukes,
and I have enjoyed the church sermons and learned a lot from the bible studies that he has given. St.
Lukes also has a Director of Christian Education, Charity Olsen, who works with the running of the
churchs preschool and youth group. She helps our college group often, and our group works with her
to develop activities that help our group get to know members of St. Lukes Lutheran Church.
So, with the Lords help, I was able to adjust to living at K-State, and did well in my classes during
my first semester. At the end of that spring semester, I decided to continue taking classes and tutoring
during the summer, as I was a little behind in my major, due to playing football at community college.
Things went well for me during the summer, but at the end of the summer, the Lord provided me with a
new opportunity to help me pay for my college classes.
At the end of the summer, I decided to give up my tutoring job to take a position as an
AmeriCorps worker for Tuttle Creek State Park. AmeriCorps is a program that is governed by the
Corporation for National and Community Service, or CNSC. As a worker for Tuttle Creek State Park, I
helped provide the service and maintenance needed to keep the park running. In return for my time, I
was granted a living stipend and an educational reward. As a worker, I enjoyed the unique challenges
that were presented by some of the projects the other workers and I undertook, such as making our
archery range handicap accessible. I was very thankful to God for providing me with this opportunity,
and I worked for the park during my next 2 semesters at K-State.
Besides working for AmeriCorps, I continued to do well in my engineering classes, and I still was
active in the LCMSU youth group and St. Lukes church. Not only was I active in the LCMSU youth group,
but I also was nominated and elected as the groups secretary during the fall 2013 semester at K-State.
And again, as I had with football, I felt that engineering was not what I was supposed to do with
my life, and I was not happy with what I was doing. Since I was not excited about becoming an engineer,
I began to ask myself, what was I excited about doing? It did not take me long to find an answer, as the
answer was sitting right in front of me. The thing I enjoyed most at K-State was attending bible studies

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through the youth group and the church, and I loved learning more about our savior Jesus Christ and our
faith and sharing it with others. I was excited about going to bible study with our youth every Tuesday,
and I looked forward to it every week.
So it was during this time in my life that I began to prayerfully consider entering the ministry. I
told only a select few people about the way I felt during this time, as I was not yet sure if this was what
God wanted me to do with my life. But, 2 people I did share this with were my mother and my pastor
from home, Pastor Schotte. Since Pastor Schotte knew about my interest, he helped me arrange a
meeting with Rev. Lannon Martin from CTS Fort Wayne during my spring 2014 semester.
So during the spring of 2014, I had the opportunity to meet with Rev. Lannon Martin, and talk to
him about entering the seminary. Through our conversation, I gained insight into how he knew he was
called into the ministry, and he also helped give me a roadmap for applying to the seminary. I was very
glad to have met with him, as he helped confirm my feeling that I should enter into the seminary.
It seemed at the time that I had a plan, and that plan was to attend K-State for 2 more years to
finish my degree in Industrial Engineering, and then to apply to seminary. Yet, as a pastor once told me,
If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans, and things did not go according to my plan. About
a month after I met with Rev. Martin, I began to notice a lump that I had had on my clavicle since high
school seemed to be getting larger. I also started to develop a rash on my skin. I consulted the local
campus doctor. He didnt take much notice of my rash, but he did notice the lump on my clavicle. After
consulting a number of different doctors, and taking a number of different tests, I was diagnosed with
stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma.
A diagnosis like this can really shake up your life. But, when your house is built on the rock that
is Christ Jesus our Lord, you know God will never give you more than you can endure, and through Christ
I found strength and help. After much searching and prayer, we found one of the best doctors in the
country to treat my condition. With my cancer in an advanced stage, I was prescribed 6 months of
radical chemotherapy treatment, and by Gods grace, I had a complete response to treatment in 2
months. They continued to give me the full amount of treatment over the next 4 months to ensure the
cancer was gone and give me the best chance for a lifelong remission.
I feel God used this experience to confirm my feeling that I was supposed to enter the ministry
and do his work in this world. I also, through this experience, began to realize just how short life can be,
and I felt a renewed sense of urgency to graduate with my bachelors degree and enter into the ministry
as soon as possible. So I began to look for ways to graduate sooner than I had previously planned, and
before the beginning of the 2015 spring semester, I found an engineering major I could change to that
would allow me to graduate in the spring of 2015. It required a lot of work, and 24 credit hours to do so,
but with the Lords help I made it through and graduated May 16, 2015 with my bachelors degree from
KSU.
The Spring semester 2015 at KSU I was also a peer minister for our LCMSU group at K-State. This
last semester, the work the peer ministers did in LCMSU was especially important, as our youth pastor,
King Crawford, was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, and was receiving treatment for it at the KU
Medical Center in Kansas City, MO. The Lord again through that experience was preparing me for His
work, as He has been throughout my life. I am looking forward to beginning course work at the
seminary this June 2015 where I will be taking Summer Greek.

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