In 1982 God shook the foundations of my life. He yanked my chain and stopped me in midstream. He saw that the lifestyle foundations I laid were destined for failure because they were motivated by selfishness and my concept of success. As the world I had built around me began collapsing, my vulnerability and willingness to “hear” improved. He was clever. He nudged me toward His path through my daughters. My hard head and self-serving nature had a weakness and He knew it — my love for my daughters. Tragedy and trauma I could deal with, but they could bat their eyelashes and have their way with me and He knew it. I had simply ignored all the other warnings He had given me. I had no concept of His words in Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 which say: There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. 

My daughters convinced me to go to church with them rather than send them with a neighbor. They led me back to the faith of my parents, their denomination and their beliefs. Within a few years, my spiritual eyes broadened as I visited other churches and seminars. The options seemed endless and there were fresh new innovative movements outside of my denomination. There seemed to be more excitement, passion, motivating experiences, and a greater freedom in Christ with many of them. I discovered aspects of Christianity I had never dreamed of before, as well as promises of greater enlightenment and power. Over the next few years I searched tirelessly. In the end I discovered that one’s personal relationship with the God family is unique and not like anyone else’s. I found that God would meet me, wherever I was and take me beyond my greatest expectations. I learned that trying to experience God based on others’ experiences may be helpful, but not always the right path for me.

Each of you will have a unique path. You must search your own heart and discover your path for yourself. God promises you and will answer if you follow the “ask, seek, knock principle” in Matthew 7:7–8. A fellow who did that was St. Hilary (315–368 AD) who is honored over these few days by the Roman Catholic Church. He was a staunch defender of the deity of Christ against the Arians who believed Christ was a created being. His search for and exposition of the truth helped him change an emperor and bishops of the church who had embraced this heresy. He won approval from those he met with a calm and measured demeanor because he had pursued God and God had given him answers and a way to communicate them. He believed that often the difference between heretical and orthodox doctrines was in the words rather than the concepts.

So I encourage you to pursue God’s concepts as they pertain to your life. Listen, observe, evaluate, research, and pray over anything that may cause you to question your path or your beliefs. Ask, seek, knock, and know that there will be an answer, even when you cannot get a hold of your mom or me by phone!

Love, Dad