At SMD, I learned what it really means to have friends break through the roof for you (Mark 2:3–4)

A couple of years ago, during my stay in Germany, I had an accident that left me in a wheelchair for a few months. My friends from SMD took care of me with so much love; I truly experienced what it means to have friends break through the roof for you. Let me tell you a bit of what happened. It was 2024, and I was doing my master’s degree in southern Germany. I had been participating in various SMD events since 2022 and had built very important friendships over that time. Then came January 2024. Walking on the ice during that cold winter, I slipped and broke my left ankle. This led to two surgeries and a five-month recovery process. I share this because my heart was deeply sad about what happened; however, my friends from SMD always found a reason to bring a smile to my face, reminding me that I was valuable even if I couldn’t walk, and that Jesus loved me deeply. One day, during an SMD meeting in Nuremberg, I went with my mom (who had traveled to look after me) to visit my friends and hang out with the group. That day, the plan was to spend time together at the meeting place and then go explore the city’s castle. Now tell me: how can you explore a castle at the very top of a hill while sitting in a wheelchair? My immediate answer was, “No, thanks, I’ll just wait for you down here.” But as we all know, members of SMD don’t give up; they are tireless young people who face challenges head-on. These guys took on the task of pushing my wheelchair all the way up the hill, taking turns until we reached the highest point of the castle (and, of course, all the way back down!). It was one of the most impressive experiences of my life. That day, I saw Jesus in every single member of the group, who out of pure love refused to leave me behind and broke through the roof for me. Thank you, SMD, for loving me, and thank you for being imitators of Jesus.