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Dark times, breaking points, can’t sleep, can’t breathe….sometimes hope seems impossible. However, I’m living proof that impossible is possible! Today I’ll share a very personal story and a song written out of those emotions. Today’s a little usual in that the song we’ll be talking about hasn’t been yet released yet. Find out how you can hear it and other unreleased songs at , Episode 14. (There might even be a free download in it for you J.) Today’s featured song is called Impossible is Possible. It’s a collaboration with my friend Kathy Tschida. You’ll get to hear part of Kathy’s God-story in next week’s episode. Make sure you check it out! LIFE’S AMAZING TIMES You know, as I look back on my life, I’m amazed how God has worked in our lives. Right after we got married we moved to Minnesota and attended what is now called Bethany Global University. It was so much more than a school. I’m still inspired to this day by the work being done there and the community of believers that helped us grow up with in many ways. God used it to set a wonderfully firm foundation for me and Cindy as a newly married couple. When it was time to branch out to other heights that God had for us, I felt confident and ready. When I got my first full-time worship pastor position at Friendship Church in 1997, I was so excited and could see that God had his hand on it. HIDING IN PLAIN VIEW But times certainly weren’t always easy. We had to deal with family things like most people have to deal with. Don’t get me wrong, we have an incredible family, but there were some serious struggles for sure. We weren’t exempt just because we’re Christians and especially not as a pastor’s family. Unfortunately I tried to deal with those things in my own strength, and often made things worse. Does that sound familiar? I don’t know if it was fear of what people would think of us or pride or shame or because I was a pastor and not supposed to have problems, but we hid the majority of our pain and challenges. There were times when we, Cindy and I, felt like failures, very alone and very afraid. From this vantage point of life, however, I know that was the enemy’s plan for us and not the way God would have had it. I hope you can benefit from hearing about my mistakes and avoid a lot of needless suffering yourself. It’s still almost overwhelming these many years later, to reflect on the goodness of God to us during that time, how He stayed with us, carried us, sustained us and raised us up from a pretty dark place. ANOTHER ROUND OF DARKNESS Once things settled down a bit, another time of darkness came upon me personally. Even as a Christian, fear and identity issues were constant companions most of my life and showed up in my reactions to stress. Things grew increasingly worse over the years until I finally had to get help. I didn’t recall ever feeling helpless or hopeless before that time. Previously I would have “decided” that I could handle things myself. For me to say “yes” to getting help, was a difficult decision. However, despair had set in and I did not like it. I could not breathe. I could not sleep. I was embarrassed and ashamed that I actually needed help, but I, indeed, needed help. PRESS IN I shot up a flare and God answered. After 2 sessions with a counselor, she thought it would be best for me to see a colleague of hers. It was at that point that I knew something was truly going on inside me. To decide to walk into a counseling office again was huge. I knew that things would probably get worse before they got better. “Pressing in” was my first choice. It didn’t take long for the new therapist to confirm there was something deep inside and it would take some work to get to the core of it. I have to say, fear almost paralyzed me. It was hard to think about facing the unknown giant that was about to be exposed. But my reactions to stress were not healthy and without...