By: JEREMY BURKHART (GalionInquirer.com) –

We are not human beings on a spiritual journey, but spiritual beings on a human journey.

That point, along with wrestling, were the main emphasis of Ohio State head wrestling coach Tom Ryan’s speech at the Galion Free Methodist Church’s quarterly prayer breakfast held Dec. 12.

“We are each a little sliver of God,” Ryan said.

While he does his best to teach his wrestlers and his own children that, it took 35 years for Ryan to learn how true it is for himself.

“If someone had told me five years ago I would be here with you this morning, I probably would have laughed,” Ryan said. “But I made myself a promise three years ago when I took the coaching job at Ohio State I would never turn down an opportunity to talk about my faith.”

While he has read many books about the Christian faith, Ryan doesn’t consider himself to be an expert on the subject. However, he acknowledges it is his faith that has given his life incredible focus.

Xenical class=”text”>Now 40 years old, Ryan has been a Christian for just five years. It was the most difficult struggle of his life that led to him being able to fully accept the love God has for each of us.

During the 35 years leading up to that point, Ryan’s human journey led him from New York to Iowa and back to New York. Along the way there where several people — from wrestling coaches to a pastor on an almost empty Greyhound bus to a random meeting with a barber in New York — who helped plant the seed of God’s love in his life.

“I had many people who reached out to me over those years,” said Ryan. “But despite the many loving attempts to reach me, I wasn’t ready to listen yet.”

His willingness to listen took place in February of 2004.

It was Presidents Day, so Ryan had decided to take his children to work with him. The kids had the day off from school, it would give their a mom a break, and give him the chance to spend a special day with them.

A few hours later after rolling on the wrestling mats while their dad coached his team at Hofstra University, the Ryan kids loaded up in the family car to head home.

Ryan remembers feeling blessed as he saw his youngest son Teague resting peacefully with his head laying on his brother’s shoulder through the rearview mirror.

Canceling a coaches meeting which had been scheduled for that evening, Ryan was planning on staying home and just enjoying an evening with his family.

When he and the kids arrived home, dinner was already waiting for them on the table. They sat down at the table with their mom and Tom’s wife, Lynette.

At 7 o’clock that evening, Teague, who was five years old at the time, started running around…..

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