A Lamp Unto My Cleats

Some stories have tragic beginnings that deserve happy endings.  Theo Johnson’s is such a story.

Young Theo Johnson was child number 3 in a house with 6 boys.  His father was abusive.  His mother, Amy, was a stay-at-home mom who saw the abuse firsthand.  She told the Reading Eagle: “He assaulted the four oldest children and made the two youngest watch.  He assaulted the four older boys with a plastic hockey stick.  Short after that he brutally assaulted me.  The physical abuse was accompanied by verbal abuse.  Amy told the York Daily Record: “He promised he was going to kill me and told me my youngest would be the one to find my body.”  To the Reading Eagle she added “I realized that all the promises he had made, that the boys would wake up and find me in a pool of blood, could actually happen.  It was real.”  Amy knew she had to save her boys.

She took a leap of faith.

When her husband left for a business trip, Amy took the boys and left.  But she had nowhere to go.  She called her pastor’s wife – who was able to find them a temporary home to stay in that belonged to a couple who wintered in Florida.  She relied on food pantries for food, government assistant for money, and a local co-op for housing.  She told the Reading Eagle: “It’s a very humbling experience.  I went from living in a suburban home with two vehicles to standing in line waiting for the doors to open so that I could get day-old bread and some canned goods.” But she never gave up. 

Neither did Theo.  He put his trust in God to help him and his family.  He explained “Our backs were against the wall.  God was there and made a way for us. Ever since then, our whole family has had a really strong faith.  When we didn’t know what to do or where to go, we just said, ‘God, we’re giving this to you.’ He answered.

Meanwhile, his mother kept working.  While raising six boys on her own, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Waterloo and then moved the family to Windsor, Ontario, while she worked on and completed a law degree from the University of Windsor Law School.  Since that time, she has earned partnership in a law firm, runs a clothing and toy charity called “Cuddles Clothing for Kids,” and, on top of all of that, is not training to run a marathon!  Amy taught her boys important life-lessons through it all: the importance of faith, the value of hard work, the benefit of never giving up.

Amy’s example left a lasting impact on Theo.  He, too, worked hard to achieve his dreams.  For Theo, the dream was to play American football.  He committed to Penn State in 2020, saw action on the field as a true freshman, and experienced great success as a tight end.  He ended his four-year career with 77 receptions for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns.

While his story is far from over, it has already reached a happy ending of sorts.  On Saturday, April 27, 2024, Theo was selected in the 4th round by the New York Giants.  While no one knows for certain what the future holds, we can be certain that Theo will follow his mother’s example of persevering in bad times and working diligently as he pursues his dreams. 

And Theo will continue to rely on his faith.  He has words of encouragement from James 1:12 tattooed on his arm.  “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life.”