HAWARDEN, Iowa (2010) — I admit, when I look back on my life I still can’t believe the journey that GOD had me travel. I am here today as proof that GOD can and will use anyone for His glory; even the most vile and sinful person.
That was me, Steve Sederstrom, until age 26 when I asked Jesus to be my personal Savior. As happens to some new Christians, I was saved but never disci-pled; I had a foundation but was not instructed in God’s Word and did not know how to conduct my-self. It wasn’t until God allowed a tragedy in my life that I can now look back at my journey and realize that it was all part of God’s plan.
In June of 2010 I was asked to plan and speak at the funeral service for my brother, Chuck, who was 17 months older than me. We grew up together, and as you can see in the photo, my big brother was a bull riding cowboy. I felt it appropriate to honor him with a cowboy funeral.
I donned a cowboy hat, black jeans, and boots that day to deliver the eulogy for my older brother, Chuck Sederstrom. He died June 5, 2010 ending a 20+ year existence lying in a comatose state. His condition was the result of injuries suffered January 13, 1990. While driving drunk, he fell asleep at the wheel and wrecked his car.
Chuck was 29 years old at the time, running Swede’s Bar in Hawarden, Iowa and living in life’s fast lane. When he wasn’t scaling steel beams or serving Jim Beam, he was bar-room brawling, breaking horses, and riding bulls. He thought he was indestructible.
Chuck and I were the sons of Eugene William (Swede) and Aida Sederstrom. Our parents owned and operated the V.I.P. Lounge, the largest strip club in South Dakota in the late 60’s and 70’s. It was a poor environment to raise kids; in fact I was tending bar by age 11.
By age 13 Chuck was 5-feet 6-inches tall. He was all muscle and attitude, and he was known as the school bully. He rebelled against our parents, spent
time in reform schools, and was in the State Peni-tentiary for 6 months by age 17. He often lifted the screen from our bedroom window to sneak out and run to a nearby ranch, a place that gave him the chance to work with horses. Chuck earned his G.E.D. and headed to Oklahoma and Texas to live in horse country. He would hang red iron by day and ride bulls – mechanical or real – by night. Chuck was married and had three children. How-ever, he never settled down. He partied. He abused alcohol and drugs.
His wild ways came to a tragic end that January night in 1990. Chuck, being intoxicated, left Sioux City, Iowa and disabled the seat belt in his car. He set the cruise at 80 and took off in the snow. He dozed at the wheel, ended up in a ditch, and was thrown from his vehicle at impact. Res-cue personnel found him snoring, face down, in the ditch. His brain swelled after the accident, and doctors had to drill holes into his skull to relieve the pressure. Sadly, permanent damage had al-ready been done. A year later a doctor told us that his brain had shrunken to a small mass and was heavily scarred. He basically said there was no hope.
Our mom and dad held out for a miracle. They kept Chuck stable, feeding him through a tube and attempting to communicate with him. For the last 15 years of his life, Chuck resided at Auburn Manor, a nursing home located in Chaska, Minne-sota. My dad would order medication for Chuck when he got sick. I knew he didn’t want to see his son die.
Standing at a podium in Grace Hill Cemetery for Chuck’s funeral, I spoke of my own time as a Sioux Falls miscreant. I upped the pace in the fast lane after Chuck’s accident. I would often take my older brother’s truck into the timberland around Hawarden, Iowa. I would fill a cooler with beer and drink myself to the point I could barely walk, and then cry and curse God for allowing this horrible thing to happen to my brother.
At this point, my life’s journey began a downward spiral. I had gotten married, but my wife took our baby girl, left me, and went to live with her par-ents. I can’t blame her. I was not safe to be around and was set on self-destruction. I couldn’t deal with my brother lying in a bed helpless, not being even close to what he was before his accident.
I reached my lowest point some weeks later when I spent a cold Friday night drinking in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and then climbed into a car to sleep. I was arrested and spent the weekend in a 6-foot by 9-foot jail cell.
On Sunday I got on my knees in this tiny jail cell, and told the Lord that if he got me out of this, I would change my ways. Just minutes after I prayed I heard the key in the door. I was being released! Both the jailer and lawyer claimed that it was rare to be released on a Sunday evening. I took this as a sign from God! Since that day over 19 years ago I have not had one drop of alcohol to drink.
I went to church for the first time and God has per-formed nothing short of a miracle ever since. I was reunited with my wife and God blessed us with three more children. With a 9th grade education and a GED, I am now an engineer. God has burdened me with a desire to work with our church youth group teaching children Biblical character traits. I’ve also had opportunities to share my testimony with teens and others about the perils of alcohol and drug abuse.
I still miss my older brother Chuck. I don’t think the pain will ever go away. I don’t believe Chuck’s accident was in vain. Would I change things if I could? Yes I Would! But I realize there was good that came out of all this. Even though Chuck had been in a coma for over 20 years, I still cried for several hours the day he died. I grabbed a photo album and pored over shots of my big muscular brother, the bull rider, the construction worker. I started laughing when thinking about the memories while planning his funeral. As I ended my remarks at Chuck’s funeral, I came to this realization and stated to those in attendance, “There is no burden too heavy, no sin too great that God can’t carry or forgive.”
Following the eulogy, my other siblings, Bob, Gene, and Marie, together lowered Chuck’s urn into the ground. I grabbed a rose and dropped it into his grave. “See you later brother,” I said. But God was not done yet, for He had even bigger plans with my brother’s story.
I was contacted by reporter Tim Gallagher from the Sioux City Journal about my brother’s story. He claimed that this was an interesting life story, and that his editor sent him to check it out. Tim came to the funeral and heard my testimony. Afterwards Tim (not being a Christian) claimed that he would write this up but was not sure if it would get printed. Well to the amazement of us all, including the reporter, the story made the front page of the paper. Tens of thousands of people across the Midwest read this powerful story about how God can save and change lives.
During the past years I was blessed with the oppor-tunity to lead both my mother, Aida Sederstrom, and also my Dad, “Swede” Sederstrom, to the Lord. I pray that Chuck understood when I read to him from the Bible, and showed him how to get saved. He responded with eye blinks as I asked questions and attempted to lead him to salvation. For the first few years after the accident I prayed for a miracle and that Chuck would awake. But later I asked God to take him home for my heart was broken.
I now understand what God had planned all along. I pray that my brother’s story will help make others change their ways, and start making God a part of their lives. Remember: There is no burden too heavy, and no sin too great that God cannot forgive.
Are you prepared for tragedy or death like in “My Brothers Story?”
James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
The Bible says: YOU ARE A SINNER! Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of GOD.”
Christ Died for Your Sins: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 “That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
You must receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
So what must you do to be saved?
Acts 16:30-31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
Won’t you take the time now to make your deci-sion? Where will you be if you put this off ?
Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Don’t wait. Stop right now and ask Jesus to come into your life, to forgive you of your sins! There may never be a tomorrow like in my brother Chuck’s case.
John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not con-demned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Written By Steve Sederstrom
Special Thanks to:
Calvary Baptist Church, York, PA & Tim Gallagher and the Sioux City Journal for allowing the use of some of this material.
