Over the years as a pastor I’ve seen many people come to Christ when they were in trouble, only to walk away when God delivered them from that trouble. This past year that happened with at least three families I’m aware of. When health or marriage trouble struck in their lives, these three families began attending church and wanted special counseling times with me. I advised them, coached them, referred them, and prayed for them. When the problem went away, so did they.

That’s why I have decided to go public with this personal cancer process. I feel like I need to practice what I preach and be a role model of how a Christian should react when trouble comes. I intend to stay optimistic no matter what and expect good things to come out of bad. And, no matter what, I refuse to distance myself from God or His church (except for the 4-week sabbatical, of course). Expect me to return more committed and wound tighter than ever!

Tags: commitment, faithfulness, trouble