Gary H
ADOLESCENCE I grew up in a non-religious home where spiritual matters were largely absent. On special occasions, my sister, and mother, would attend a local Methodist Church on Christian milestones dates. Nevertheless, my father neither went to church nor participated in any spiritual life or activities.
TRAGEDY IN THE PATH OF LIFE In the spring of 1967, when I was 14 years old, an unexpected and deeply what I thought unfair tragedy occurred: my father died suddenly of a heart attack. There was no grief counseling that we know of. I buried the pain and moved forward, in life never realizing as I do today the loss truly shaped my character as I entered manhood. I graduated in 1970 and began my career in 1973. In 1974 I married at twenty-two, started a family, and worked hard to build stability and success. From the outside, life looked and felt good. However, lurking deep down inside, something was missing. In the late 70s, as I worked to build what I thought was my dream life. I had a great career in our second newly built home, first child, in 1977. The truth of the matter is I was off track and a train wreck. My addictions began to increase and the proclivities grew immensely.
Coming to Christ By 1981 we had a second child thinking that would provide some purpose and stability. Fall of 1981 I had hit rock bottom. Later that year I finally surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. The pull to draw me to this eventual transformation came through the guidance of friends, giving attention to a TV evangelist, and people praying for me. By the way I didn’t realize until many years later. I was on a bed of desperation and had no clue how to embrace this thing called salvation and freedom in Christianity. That night, I knelt in my room and asked God to reveal himself if he was real, as I offered him my heart and soul. The transformation was quick and intense. I became overly zealous, to a point I lacked grace at all. My conversion was real, and the transformation in my life was undeniable. It was like pulling a sock off and it is turning inside out! Building a Life—and Drifting Early on I became very involved in a smaller Church life.
Worked my way into leadership roles, teaching, preaching etc…. During the next 12 years, the my business I became my idol. Responsibilities, pressures increased. Eventually I had 3 more children and life became terribly full. I was a solo business owner, provided well for my family, and experienced many blessings. But slowly over time—almost imperceptibly—my relationship with Christ moved to the background. I spent more time doing Christianity then becoming a mature Christian. I call it doing and not becoming) I never doubted my salvation, but I stopped living under His daily Lordship.
I began trusting success, possessions, experiences, and comfort to provide fulfillment. This spiritual drift (slow fade) happened over ten to twelve years. And because it was gradual, I didn’t recognize it while it was happening. Scripture warns that when God is no longer first, even good things become idols. I learned that lesson the hard way. The Cost of the Slow Fade As a husband, father, and leader, I failed to guard what mattered most—my personal faith and spiritual leadership. I allowed busyness and comfort to replace dependence on God. The Bible speaks clearly about an enemy who seeks to distract, divide, and destroy. When I drifted from God, I made myself vulnerable. The consequences affected not only me, but our entire family. Reflection and Redemption Looking back, I see both blessings and failures. I do not dismiss the good years, the joy, or the memories we shared. But it was only through the exposure of my failures that God brought me to humility, clarity, and renewal. God saw all my trying, striving, hoop jumping, box checking and only by His grace stepped into the noise of my business to save me again. Not for Eternity but from myself. I came to understand that I had defined myself by what I possessed rather than by who I was in Christ. My identity became rooted in success, status, and comfort, which could fulfill the purpose for which I was created.
Eventually by 2008 my marriage of 34 years came to an end in a terrible divorce. (Is there any other?) By this time the propensities and proclivities were stronger than ever before and the addictions intense. I eventually after 26 years lost my business and my home on a lake and great deal of all my possessions. What I never expected in a million years was to eventually meet a woman (through some strange circumstances) in that same year who just happened to be a new Christian. She invited me back to Church she had attended, and I hadn’t attended in some 11-12 years. I never hesitated to want to go with her, and it was at that service the Lord called me back into a right relationship with Him. I was truly the prodigal son, and in late 2008 I rededicated my life to Jesus Christ. New Life and Purpose – Gods Plan After that day I never have turned back and know now that the Love of God which surpasses all understanding is TRUE. As Romans 8:38 puts it so well 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
TRAGEDY IN THE PATH OF LIFE In the spring of 1967, when I was 14 years old, an unexpected and deeply what I thought unfair tragedy occurred: my father died suddenly of a heart attack. There was no grief counseling that we know of. I buried the pain and moved forward, in life never realizing as I do today the loss truly shaped my character as I entered manhood. I graduated in 1970 and began my career in 1973. In 1974 I married at twenty-two, started a family, and worked hard to build stability and success. From the outside, life looked and felt good. However, lurking deep down inside, something was missing. In the late 70s, as I worked to build what I thought was my dream life. I had a great career in our second newly built home, first child, in 1977. The truth of the matter is I was off track and a train wreck. My addictions began to increase and the proclivities grew immensely.
Coming to Christ By 1981 we had a second child thinking that would provide some purpose and stability. Fall of 1981 I had hit rock bottom. Later that year I finally surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. The pull to draw me to this eventual transformation came through the guidance of friends, giving attention to a TV evangelist, and people praying for me. By the way I didn’t realize until many years later. I was on a bed of desperation and had no clue how to embrace this thing called salvation and freedom in Christianity. That night, I knelt in my room and asked God to reveal himself if he was real, as I offered him my heart and soul. The transformation was quick and intense. I became overly zealous, to a point I lacked grace at all. My conversion was real, and the transformation in my life was undeniable. It was like pulling a sock off and it is turning inside out! Building a Life—and Drifting Early on I became very involved in a smaller Church life.
Worked my way into leadership roles, teaching, preaching etc…. During the next 12 years, the my business I became my idol. Responsibilities, pressures increased. Eventually I had 3 more children and life became terribly full. I was a solo business owner, provided well for my family, and experienced many blessings. But slowly over time—almost imperceptibly—my relationship with Christ moved to the background. I spent more time doing Christianity then becoming a mature Christian. I call it doing and not becoming) I never doubted my salvation, but I stopped living under His daily Lordship.
I began trusting success, possessions, experiences, and comfort to provide fulfillment. This spiritual drift (slow fade) happened over ten to twelve years. And because it was gradual, I didn’t recognize it while it was happening. Scripture warns that when God is no longer first, even good things become idols. I learned that lesson the hard way. The Cost of the Slow Fade As a husband, father, and leader, I failed to guard what mattered most—my personal faith and spiritual leadership. I allowed busyness and comfort to replace dependence on God. The Bible speaks clearly about an enemy who seeks to distract, divide, and destroy. When I drifted from God, I made myself vulnerable. The consequences affected not only me, but our entire family. Reflection and Redemption Looking back, I see both blessings and failures. I do not dismiss the good years, the joy, or the memories we shared. But it was only through the exposure of my failures that God brought me to humility, clarity, and renewal. God saw all my trying, striving, hoop jumping, box checking and only by His grace stepped into the noise of my business to save me again. Not for Eternity but from myself. I came to understand that I had defined myself by what I possessed rather than by who I was in Christ. My identity became rooted in success, status, and comfort, which could fulfill the purpose for which I was created.
Eventually by 2008 my marriage of 34 years came to an end in a terrible divorce. (Is there any other?) By this time the propensities and proclivities were stronger than ever before and the addictions intense. I eventually after 26 years lost my business and my home on a lake and great deal of all my possessions. What I never expected in a million years was to eventually meet a woman (through some strange circumstances) in that same year who just happened to be a new Christian. She invited me back to Church she had attended, and I hadn’t attended in some 11-12 years. I never hesitated to want to go with her, and it was at that service the Lord called me back into a right relationship with Him. I was truly the prodigal son, and in late 2008 I rededicated my life to Jesus Christ. New Life and Purpose – Gods Plan After that day I never have turned back and know now that the Love of God which surpasses all understanding is TRUE. As Romans 8:38 puts it so well 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
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