1. My broken leg in 8th grade - I have recently learned, from my parents, that God used that event to change my attitude for the better and break my will in some areas.
2. Broken relationship the night before buying an engagement ring - this was tough but it led to building a relationship with a young woman that became my wife and an incredible blessing from God.
3. Little money to go to college or graduate school - But, I followed God anyway, with my parents support, going where I believed God wanted me to go; and He supplied what was needed, financially to get me through. I learned to trust Him in that area.
4. Not taking the first pastoral job I was offered, right out of graduate school - voted in at 92% and offered a great salary for a single guy, I just didn't feel right about it. Instead, I took a teaching job and about a 50% pay cut that I would have received with the other job. But, God gave me a couple great years coaching (I loved it) and allowed me to date my future wife; as well as lead me to where He wanted me to pastor first: in Connecticut.
5. Only being in my first pastorate 3 years - and yet God led us to Florida, where we had a lot of support from our church, were able to buy our first home and after a few months of arriving, were able to receive our first two children - through adoption!
James 1:17,18 (a paraphrase) - Everything good, including my trials, comes from God, the Creator of all, and who never changes. His sovereign will brought me forth as one of His children, giving promise of a spiritual harvest to come.
The fact that God never changes greatly impacts my life:
- When others change, I have one person I can go to that is always the same
- It means I can count on God to keep all of His promises in His Word
- He will have complete and final victory over Satan one day, and I will also have final victory over sin and death
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