Today I would like to introduce you to my cousin, Billy Winneroski. Billy is a walking miracle, truly… I’m going to tell you the story about how Billy and I met in this morning’s manna, but I would STRONGLY encourage you to watch and listen to Billy’s incredible story of victory in Jesus in his own words in this YouTube video interview.
Billy Winneroski was born on March 25, 1972 and wasn’t supposed to live. In fact, Billy and I didn’t even know each other until we were adults.
You see, twenty-three years ago my wife went to pick up a Christian book that had come in from Berean Christian store. When the associate asked my wife if her husband’s name was Billy Winneroski, my wife said no, and came home asked me if I knew someone named Billy Winneroski. Winneroski is not a common last name so I called my parents to ask them who Billy Winneroski was.
What I found out was that I had a cousin named Billy who was born when I was six years old. Billy was very, very sick when he was born, and my parents were surprised to find out that he was still alive, since they had assumed that he had died at birth. Billy didn’t die. In fact, he is still very much alive!
Billy was born with spina bifida (split spine) and hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and only has one kidney. He also grew up wearing braces to enable him to walk, because he doesn’t have any muscles in his legs from the knees down. In fact, my cousin had so many medical conditions when he was born that the doctor’s didn’t think that he would not live to celebrate his first birthday.
According to Billy, his dad “fought a lot of demons in his life.” When the stress became too much for him, he divorced his wife and abandoned Billy and his older sisters before Billy turned two years old.
My uncle left a wife, two daughters, and a very sick child to fend for themselves because he thought, “it was better for him to just disappear,” according to Billy. My uncle moved to Florida and needless to say, my uncles’ actions brought a tremendous amount of hurt to Billy and his family. Sin hurts.
When I found out that I had an aunt, and three cousins that I didn’t even know, I wanted to find them. I later found out that Billy was trying to find us too!
I went back to the Christian book store and asked them if I could get the contact information for my cousin Billy. Thankfully they agreed to give me Billy’s contact information and I contacted him and he responded right away.
When Billy and I talked on the phone it was surreal. Both of us were praising God for the chance to get to know another man of God that we were related to, but didn’t know existed. Billy told me his story and I told him my story. We laughed and we cried.
Billy told me that he had also connected with my parents and our grandmother. He was trying to find his dad’s contact information, but had found out from our grandmother that his father had already died.
Billy wanted to talk to his dad to let him know that he had survived! He also wanted to tell his dad that, because of Jesus, he needed to tell him that he had forgiven him. He wanted to tell his earthly father that he wanted to have a relationship with him. He also wanted to know why his dad had left them.
Billy is not afraid to boast about his weaknesses, because he knows that weakness is the path to strength in Christ. In 2 Corinthians, chapter 12, Paul said;
“I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
My family has had the privilege of meeting Billy multiple times in person. We even went on a trip together and had such a wonderful time! Billy shared his inspirational story at my former church and on several other platforms including the YouTube video above. Billy is a warrior for Christ and he is very active on social media if you want to connect with him. Billy is not shamed of the gospel and is definitely not afraid to speak the truth in love!
Dear Jesus, I can’t thank you enough for my cousin Billy, and for the other men and women who you are using to inspire us to be all that we can be for you. Forgive me when I complain about things that threaten my comfort. Help me to remember that there are brothers and sisters throughout the world, like Billy, who continue to glorify you even through their pain and suffering. Thank you for using Billy to show the world that miracles are still happening all around us! Our glory is His!
Manna and Coffee 