JT Jester
8 min read ⭑
“One thing that’s important to hold on to and grasp is that there are no bad days, only hard days. … It’s true — every day is a blessing, and the stories in my book capture how others have taken their hardest days and found solutions. ”
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?
The meal that stands out to me is the time my grandparents brought us all together as grandchildren. Every year, they would go over what we had accomplished during the school year and what our goals were for the upcoming school year. At our lunch at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club in Michigan, I got my famous cheeseburger.
The reason it was so famous was because of what I shared at that table. I shared with my grandparents and everyone else who was there that I’d learned to read. I’d suffered from dyslexia for many years as a result of my medical journey. My dyslexia journey really took hold of me, but we eventually found a program that worked for us.
It was called Fast Reading and this program worked miracles for me — enough so that I told my grandparents and cousins my success story of learning to read.
I shared that my goals were to continue to improve my reading and writing. That was a symbolic time in my life, not only because of what I shared but also because of the fact that I had my tribe of people there. After all, although my family knew I struggled, they didn’t know the severity of my struggle. At that lunch, they realized and learned what I had gone through on a different level and were there to support me and help me throughout the continued journey toward learning.
Alexandra Luniel; Unsplash
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So, what are yours? What so-called "nonspiritual" activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?
Some of the events and adventures that I love most in life take place outdoors. Activities in the mountains are my passion, but skiing is number one. Another adventure I love is boating; I love being on the water. The reason I love these two things is that they allow me to get away from the naysayers in life, the people who tell me that, due to my medical challenges or my education, I can’t do certain things and can’t achieve this or that.
These two passions of mine allow me to just relax and enjoy life. They open up my eyes to other experiences. It’s a fun and challenging adventure, but an equally important aspect is the fact that I’m in nature. When I’m outdoors, I’m in God’s country and I’m enjoying what he’s created for us. It creates a stronger connection for me in my relationship with the Lord.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness. Every human, too. We're just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So, what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?
In my book, “No Bad Days,” I open up and discuss some of the hardest and most mentally challenging times in my life.
I was born with a tracheoesophageal fistula, a medical challenge that affected the majority of my body from the digestive system to the spinal cord, causing me to have an imperforate anus and need a colostomy bag for the first several years of my life.
With these medical challenges, my body didn’t operate normally, especially when going to the bathroom. Some of my most challenging times were in school when I’d have an accident or wet the bed even as a teenager.
Experiencing these things that were out of my control created a lot of anxiety and challenge because I felt so far from what others perceived as normal.
One thing that I think is so crucial is being able to share your vulnerabilities with someone you trust. What I learned from my medical struggles is that being vulnerable and expressing what my challenges were helped others to accept me and also understand that they could share their biggest challenges with me. We could create a bond of trust with each other, understanding that we’re there to support each other in the hard times and the good times.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?
We all are going to fall in life. We all have challenges and, believe me, I’ve had my fair share. During these challenges, I’ve walked away with some great lessons I’ve learned. When it comes to my medical and educational challenges or those from just being a human, those challenges have not knocked me all the way down.
In my most recent project, “No Bad Days,” I talk about how when we fall we have to get back up. It teaches life lessons through individual stories and how they found encouragement to keep going; how they found joy throughout their journey.
One thing that’s important to hold on to and grasp is that there are no bad days, only hard days. This title came about from a time when I was in the hospital with my dad. He came into the room and said, “JT, I’m sorry you’re going through this.”
I turned to him and said, “Dad, there are no bad days; there are only hard days, and we get through them.” That quote stuck with our family from then on. It’s true — every day is a blessing, and the stories in my book capture how others have taken their hardest days and found solutions.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it's God when it happens?
The way my work has shown me that God is working through the work is from the time I started with this project. When I wrote my first book, “Untether,” I found a ghostwriter and a publisher. From there, the first book came to life. I began public speaking, and from there, I decided with my team that I wanted a new book called “No Bad Days.” I then found another ghostwriter, publisher and publicist. Throughout that whole process, every single person we came in contact with (and we know it wasn’t chance because we didn’t necessarily seek out Christians) had faith in God and wanted to take on this project.
From that point, I had the reassurance that God was directing my path once again to touch lives.
As the project went on and continues today, the excitement God brings from speaking engagements at hospitals, schools and businesses as well as from hearing individual stories of how the project has affected people’s lives just shows how God is working. This goes for all of us in life — it shows how important it is to follow the doors God opens for you, and if he closes the door, well, go find another door.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So, spill it, which spiritual practice is workin' best for you right now?
Due to my educational challenges and the path I had to take, it was always a challenge for me to read. Of course, now I can do all of that, but it’s still a struggle. What I’ve found is that going to church is great and has been an amazing experience for me, but the biggest learning experience has been being able to teach and help others through a program called Young Life. Being able to be involved with these children, helping to guide them through their adolescent years, having fun with them and diving into Scripture have also helped me grow in my understanding of the Bible.
One of the biggest benefits of this has been finding my tribe. In “No Bad Days,” I share how finding your tribe is about who you surround yourself with. Who you surround yourself with is who you’ll become, so being a part of Young Life and my church body has allowed me to have great mentors that understand my learning difference and help guide me and educate me on God’s Word.
My dad always says to surround yourself with bigger, stronger, faster and smarter people than yourself. This is true in your faith journey, too.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are some resources that have impacted you?
Due to my challenge with short-term memory and dyslexia, my most valuable resources have been “30 Days to Understanding the Bible” by author Max Anders and the “Our Daily Bread” daily devotionals.
Another resource that has deeply impacted me is the “Dream Big Podcast with Bob Goff & Friends.”
We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it's done for you.
Because my learning differences have been such a challenge, all three of the resources I mentioned earlier have been so beneficial to me, but they take time for me to understand. Due to my challenges with reading, I have not had a ton of opportunities to dive deeper into other learning tools.
But one tool we all have access to is the Bible, and some of my strongest times of learning have been with a friend helping me through the reading of what we’ve chosen to study.
QUESTION #8: dream
God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So, give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
I love the phrase dream big! First, it’s the name of Bob’s podcast (which I love), but it’s also a concept I’ve believed in because my parents instilled it into my vocabulary and helped me understand that we can dream big. My greatest dream, first and foremost, is to spread God’s Word and share what he has done for me and so many others.
The path that I see right now is through public speaking, and I hope that will continue to grow and inspire others. I also have a dream of being able to give back through my foundation, the JT Mestdagh Foundation, by watching it grow and being able to really participate with things I believe in and that have helped and supported me throughout my journey.
Over 1 in 4 people in the U.S. have some kind of disability that impacts their daily lives, according to the CDC. And yet JT’s story is an inspiring example of what can happen when we choose to let God’s power define what’s possible for us instead of our own limitations or struggles.
What could happen if we approached life with JT’s attitude — the kind of faith that says no matter what we face, we have God on our side? Life may not magically become easier, of course. But maybe we would see Jesus do things in us and through us that we could only have dreamed about before.
Because as Luke 1:37 (ESV) tells us, “Nothing will be impossible with God.”
JT Jester is a young entrepreneur, philanthropist, podcaster and inspirational speaker in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. A graduate of High Point University, JT is also an experienced mountaineer, extreme skier, boater, hunter and adventurer who seeks to encourage people to untether from natural or self-imposed limitations and live full, passionate lives. Born with life-threatening VATER/VACTERL syndrome, as well as extreme dyslexia and short-term memory loss, he established the JT Mestdagh Foundation to bring encouragement, joy and laughter to people with physical and learning disabilities and their families. For more information, visit jtjester.com and connect on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
