n e w c h u r c h l i f e : j u ly / au g u s t 2 0 1 4
being. The Lord just had to make me think it
was my own idea to make some life changes,
and that took some time.
It is true, as the Writings say, that you
can only see providence in hindsight. I
certainly see it now. For the most part my
life has been pretty unremarkable. Dad had
found the Writings as a young man, and
moved his young family to Bryn Athyn to
be part of the New Church.
I was one when we moved from Texas to
Bryn Athyn, and had no family in the New
Church. I went through almost all the New
Church education possible – elementary
school, high school and an AA degree from Bryn Athyn College. My grades
were probably a little above average, my athletic ability was probably a bit
below average, and I managed to get myself into an average amount of trouble.
But I loved cars.
Even now it still amazes me that the Lord got me from the auto industry
to the ministry. I left Bryn Athyn College to take a year off to save some money
to finish my education, and also to take a break from school. It was great. I
worked at a car dealership in the parts department. Then I went to Auburn
University and got my degree in marketing.
A few months before graduating I managed to get a job with a company
that was big in the drag racing scene. Seemed like a perfect fit. It was, and I
stayed for just short of 10 years.
Yet during my time there I started to get promptings for change. There
were the obvious promptings that my wife would give me, and then there were
the ones the Lord was giving me. It seemed He would enlist my friends, family
and my employer to send me into the ministry. It would be a surprise to all of
us, but clearly a necessity if the “dishes” were ever going to be done properly.
It was February 2005 when my mother passed away. This rekindled my
interest in the afterlife, and got me reading a book that Dad gave me, Messages
from the Open Door. It really started putting into perspective what was
important. The common theme throughout the different accounts in the book
was: I wish I had known before what I know now. These people were telling me
to rearrange my priorities.
Deep down I knew that I needed some change. I thought I’d done a fair job
of appearing like a decent person, but I was aware of some of the thoughts and
ideas that lay hidden beneath. These were the things that I was now seeing as
rather embarrassing – because I thought now my Mom could see the person I
really was, which wasn’t who I really wanted to be.
Daily contact with
the Word was making
a profound impact on
my attitudes, desires
and behaviors – and
that’s what really
got me thinking
about the ministry.
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