DEDICATION
To those believers who have kept their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as they have endured extreme trials. Some are facing much more than I have, some less, and yet have been strong in trusting him. My regards to you all.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
2 Corinthians 12:10
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book couldn’t have been written without he guidance of my Lord Jesus Christ. When I first set down to write, I made a terrible mistake; proceeding on my own without his guidance. The finished manuscript showed that it was lacking in content, in relating my story, and events that I had long forgotten. So I did what any Christian seeking to take on something important should do: I prayed and asked God’s guidance through each step. This is the finished product, and I can’t thank him enough for leading me through it. Like so much in my life, God has given me strength, ability, and more to be who and what I need to I praise him for the blessings that I’ve seen and for those I’ve somehow missed.
From the moment we knew we’d share our life, my wife Patty has been the spark in my life and has given me the willingness to be all I can. I give much credit to her for helping me to gain the will to push ahead as I’ve learned new things and sought to better myself. Her encouragement and support gave me the will to try things that I didn’t realize were possible, even giving me that “you can do it” excitement to try something when I doubted myself. When things in my life turned and went from the everyday living of normal home life and career to uncertainty because of declining health, she stuck with me all the way. We don’t often consider that we’ll have to live out the vows we take at the altar on our wedding day, looking forward to the possibilities ahead and beyond “for richer or poorer; in sickness and in health…” Patty has been through a lot because I’ve been through it; as strong a wife and woman as any man could hope for. I praise God for bringing us together, and I’m grateful to her for her unending love. Thank you my love for sharing a life well lived, and for making each day a joy!
My thanks to family and friends who I’ve shared many good times with and who have been a help and encouragement when things were or weren’t so good. You have been there to share good times and laughs and have allowed me to lean on you when needed. You’ve held me up and I thank you all. On the family side, Patty and I have sadly said goodbye to too many loved ones. My blood family is reduced to just a few, and my in-laws who are just as important to me are fewer than when we married. We all need to stay strong for each other and not let petty differences push us apart. Time will have its way. Let's enjoy the ride together while we can
Many thanks to pastors past and present through my years at Third Baptist Church of Philadelphia. When I first stepped through the doors, I couldn’t imagine being anything more than a Christian that sat in the pew to worship our Lord on Sundays. Through God’s will, I’ve gone much further. Each one of our preachers has helped equip me to serve God, go the extra mile, and hold my head up when situations could have easily brought me down. Likewise, friends who have started where I have and went on to pastor churches themselves. Your faith is encouraging, trusting God when things sometimes were looking impossible. Each of you has kept the faith and God has brought you to be great church leaders. Thank you for not forgetting me and for asking your churches to pray for my needs in rough times.
INTRODUCTION
The idea for this book came out of something said by my friend Dennis. We were talking one Sunday morning when he said: “You know, someday, I’d like to sit down and talk with you about what keeps you going.” My lovely wife Patty and I have spent time together with Dennis and his wonderful wife Elaine, but we have never sat down and taken the time to have that talk. Still, what Dennis said gave me the idea and motivation to put into words those things and more.
What makes me any different from you or the next person? Some may say not much, and others, a great deal. You see, I’ve been living with three chronic illnesses and a great deal of moderate to severe pain over the past two decades. I’ve gone from feeling like a gainful citizen to where it can feel like I’m watching life pass me by with little to offer. That’s not to say that I’m grumbling about it, but it’s the way that things have turned and I fully accept it. So I find myself with a few more, and sometimes more difficult, challenges than many people struggle with, but I choose not to allow those challenges to get the best of me or to throw for myself what some call would call a pity party. Keeping a proper attitude is a challenge I face daily and I know it would be impossible without the grace of God and the people who have been both a help and an encouragement to me. So my goal is to live this life I’ve been blessed with and to make the most of it. How I finish will be proof of my success or failure, and those who know me personally will judge if I’ve achieved my goal.
I admit that I’ve struggled with writing this book in one way: To tell my story without seeming to be prideful. To do that, I had to first tell where I came from and then where God has brought me. My fear was of giving the impression of being overly proud of the things that I have achieved. That was never the intention. I firmly believe that everything in life, both the highs and the lows, has been a blessing from God and that whatever I’ve achieved was not just my success, but also His allowance. They may not be the successes of a president, CEO, or some other prominent person, yet they are the things that I believe our Lord has blessed me with throughout my life. I’m just another man who dresses, eats, and lives as anyone else does, and I do it within my means and seek to keep within God’s will.
In John 15:5, Jesus said, “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” This is especially true when it comes to spiritual things. Because of Jesus Christ, I have been able to be a part of things that I would never have considered possible, and hopefully, I have done my best in those things. For those of us who are believers, we understand that true spiritual victory comes from Jesus Christ. We may be evangelists, pastors, deacons, or everyday Christians like myself who seek to shine the light of our Savior Jesus Christ in the things that we do daily. Our position in life or the church isn’t what makes us victorious. Those things come from God and what we’re willing to do with what He has shown and given us.
I hope that this book will be read by both the believer and unbeliever alike. For those who know Jesus, I hope that you find it an encouragement to you, especially when you feel that your faith is being tested or when the trials come. Some will bear them more than others, but we are all tested in some way. May you find that our Lord hasn’t left you alone, that He is indeed there with you through whatever you endure. Looking at life realistically, we know that we will all be tested in some way and those trials will vary from minor to severe. We can have victory over those things, but it all depends on how we decide to handle them and Who we trust.
For those who feel they are separated from God – whether you consider yourself atheist, agnostic, someone seeking to find your way, or even someone who considers themselves to be religious but feels they are lacking spirituality: May you read and find comfort in knowing that you don’t have to face life’s trials alone. He has given help and comfort to so many others, and He’s willing to do the same for you if you’ll only believe, repent, and call on Jesus. Let Him do the rest.
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