Life began difficult. He was adopted into a hurting family who had lost a child in a terrible accident. By means of a verbal adoption in San Antonio, nothing documented, he was in poor health as an infant. Hoping to fill the void, the Selestino family took him in as one of their own and nurtured him back to health.
Life was pretty normal for a young boy growing up in Lockhart, Texas. He was essentially raised by his sister, Terri, due to his mom and dad working all the time. From carnivals to vacations, to annual festivals and family outings, he enjoyed the closeness of family life.
All that would change when at the innocent age of ten, tragedy struck. First, he was sexually abused at a nearby creek in front of four people. Confused and terrified, he had no one to turn to and so internalized all the hurt and abuse. Not too long after the sexual abuse, he was struck by a vehicle. After being told not to play in the street, he made a rebellious decision that almost ended his life.
Later in his life, he would face alcoholism, promiscuity, and COVID-19. With each storm he faced, there was always the sense of failure and hopelessness. When he decided to get serious about his faith in Christ is when the healing truly began. Time after time and storm after storm, the grace of God was demonstrated through love, compassion, mercy, patience, and forgiveness.
When he decided to get serious about his faith is when he saw...the Savior beyond the storms.