On the 7th Day of Christmas...

As much as it hurts, pain and defeat are healthy. God has allowed me to experience much of it during my life. This Christmas I am reminded of 7 episodes of disappointment and failure, that when looking back, has strengthened my resolve to be better and do more. Here is my short list:

born with a damaged eardrum which caused severe hearing loss,

Christmas Eve emergency room party with a leaky appendix (the gift that keeps on givin'),

cut from the high school baseball team junior year,

denied request of marital blessing from my now father-in-law,

back-to-back church collapses (i was on staff at both churches, you connect the dots),

laid off from a job and unemployed for 6 months,

failed initial ordination board hearing

Hindsight is 20/20 and only after a period of time do I realize the growth as a result. Without the presence of impossible circumstances and unmet goals, can we really understand the goodness, grace and purpose of God?