Tag: testimony

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Your Impact Reaches Beyond What You See

Echoes through eternity, leaving a legacy that transcends time. Your Impact Reaches Beyond What You See. I have had an amazing journey through mountaintops and the deepest valleys. Through it all, God kept investing in me in ways I didn’t always understand, and for a purpose I couldn’t always see. I wanted to share that journey with you.

We are each incredible creatures, designed by a God who loves us unconditionally, each with unique talents and purpose. In our own way, each of us can change the world around us. That may sound like an overstatement, but it is true. Not just the world around us, but the world that has yet to be. A future we will never experience.

You may never know how much your life mattered to someone else.

A conversation you barely remember. Encouragement you offered when someone was ready to quit. A moment when you paused, listened, and helped someone feel less alone. We must acknowledge not the life we planned, but the life we received. We plan in straight lines, but we live in detours.

“The Life I Received” – Chapter 3

What if those moments reach further than you will ever see?

Each Life Has a Sound

However, every life makes a sound.

The sound may not be loud. You may not recognize it at the time. It may be nothing more than a sentence spoken to a discouraged person, a meal shared with someone who felt invisible, a lesson passed to a student, a business skill taught to someone trying to survive, or a stubborn decision to keep loving after loss.

But that sound moves outward. It touches people. Those people touch others. An ordinary action becomes a seed. A seed becomes a tree. A tree drops fruit. Fruit carries more seeds. Long after the original act is forgotten, the echo continues.” – Introduction

That question is at the heart of my book, Echoes Through Eternity: Lessons from an Ordinary Life, now available through Amazon.

Many of you have walked alongside me on this blog. This book brings together years of those reflections into a broader conversation about faith, purpose, grief, courage, and the influence we have on other people’s lives.

“A Tree Does not Hear Its Own Growth” – Chapter 6

Inside, I share lessons from business, service in developing countries, personal loss, and the everyday work of following Christ. Stories of people whose determination reshaped my understanding of purpose, and encounters that taught me how easily we can walk past an opportunity to make a difference.

That Sound Has an Echo

If you have ever wondered whether your work matters, how to move forward after loss, or what God might still have for you in this season of life, I wrote these pages with you in mind.

“Whose Life Are You Going to Change?” – Chapter 12

My hope is that you will recognize your story here—and find encouragement to love well, act courageously, and use what God has placed in your hands today. God lives in the moments. Dramatic moments don’t change lives; the steady drumbeat of a life well lived does.

What echo will your life leave behind?

I invite you to explore Echoes Through Eternity: Lessons from an Ordinary Life. Read the description, try a sample if available, and see whether these pages speak to the questions you carry.

My goal in life, and yours, should be to enrich the life of those we touch. Not through money, power, and fame, but through compassion, love, and grace.

“Echo Through Eternity” – Chapter 20

Find it on Amazon  – for a limited time the Kindle version is free.

Amazon

If your find it of value please write a review.

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When Good Things Become Distractions

When Good Things Become a DistractionNot every distraction is bad. Some of the most dangerous distractions are worthwhile things that slowly consume the attention meant for something else. We do not have to be doing something wrong to find ourselves neglecting what God has called us to do. Sometimes we are simply doing too much of something good.

Ecclesiastes 3:1,“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

Good Things can Compete with One Another.

Family, work, ministry, helping others, church, writing—all worthwhile. But none automatically deserves unlimited time just because it is good. The challenge is deciding how much time to give each activity. The old 20/80 rule is a good guideline. The first 20% of your effort produces 80% of the results. The last 80% of your effort produces the final 20% of the results.

So the question might be: which tasks deserve the final eighty percent, and which don’t? Are there other people who can fine-tune some things while you put your effort into the things God created you for? Does having control supersede accomplishing God’s will?

Luke 10:41–42, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Perfection is an Especially Effective Distraction.

The things God truly puts on your heart require a different strategy. There comes a point when improving something yields diminishing returns. We can expend enormous effort to make something 2% better while leaving something else completely undone. The drive for perfection can reduce the likelihood of real change by causing us to miss the window of opportunity.

A need exists; you want to fill that need, but your desire to execute perfection causes time to escape, and the need goes unfulfilled. Or the need is met too late to be truly helpful.

This reminds me of a story from Kyrgyzstan. A young Christian in a Muslim village saw children playing soccer (football) in an open dirt field. He went to them, helped organize teams, and set up a small village league. While refereeing the games, he would ask the children if they needed anything. Then, during the week, he would get whatever they needed and give it to them the next weekend. This man knew their parents would never ask a Christian for help, but the children were different. It wasn’t long before he and his religion were accepted by the villagers.

Now, in America, we would first have to form a committee to make sure it was the best course of action. We would need rules and, of course, T-shirts. Maybe we would need donations for uniforms and refreshments. Then we would talk with the kids.

Perfection can get in the way of God’s work. God will perfect the outcome; we don’t have to worry about it.

Purpose Requires Periodically Looking up.

Ask: What have I stopped doing because something else has captured all my attention? That is the central question. Do I respond to opportunities by asking God if this is mine to carry, or do I let the world answer that question for me?

Do I ask God what my priorities should be, or do I allow my sense of accomplishment to overshadow what God is trying to do through me?

John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Conclusion

Maybe the question is not simply, “Am I doing something worthwhile?” Perhaps we also need to ask, “Is this what I should be doing right now?” There are countless good things we can do with our lives. Wisdom is knowing which good thing deserves our attention today.

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Christian Leadership

LeadershipThe single most important thing a leader can give their best people isn’t perks or even money; it’s a goal worth their time. That is an important point. Whether we accept the role or not, as Christians we are leaders. As Christians, we are watched, and people decide whether what we say we believe in is worth investing in.

The Question

So, the question is: Do we give them a goal worth their time?

Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

What does your life say about your beliefs? I have written a lot about how precious time is. We don’t get do-overs for wasted time. That isn’t to say downtime is wasted, but is it intentional? Right now, I am more interested in uptime. What do we say to the world about how we use productive time to reflect a life worth living?

2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

I remember reading that Christ isn’t just preparing a place for us but preparing us for that place. To me, that means the life we are living right now as aliens on this planet has meaning. The way we live here and now is preparation for eternity.

The Answer

When people watch us go about our everyday lives, do they see something worth aspiring to? Is it appealing to them? How do we handle disappointment and setbacks? Do we interact with strangers and those in need with compassion and grace? How do we celebrate success? Do we see it as a reflection of our achievements or as the natural outcome of a greater plan?

Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

We cannot always be happy; happiness is conditional. But we can be joyful. We can choose to see life unfolding predictably, even when we do not know the outcome. True followers know the outcome is in our best interest, even when it does not align with our plan.

We have an inner strength that gives us confidence in our abilities and keeps us from being dependent on others. We don’t compete with others because our plans differ from theirs. That is not to say we aren’t competitive, but that we see value in both winning and losing. Both have lessons worth learning.

Is there a calmness in our everyday life that is enviable? Is Christ merely a mythical figure who promises life after death, or is He real in the life I am living today? Does my life have meaning and value, or is it merely temporary and difficult to endure?

1 Timothy 4:8b, “but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

Is Christianity a goal worth my time?

Most practicing Christians ebb and flow. They see God’s hand in everyday events when they look for it, but miss the ones they were too busy to notice. Christians can see the value of compassion when it is a choice, but miss it amid a chaotic moment. They are good at implementing projects for the good of others, but often fail when life is thrust upon them.

We are all a work in progress. We are being prepared for what is next. Preparation is an active process that requires diligence and perseverance. So I ask again: As a Christian thrust into the role of leadership, are you giving others a goal worth their time?

One day at a time, one moment at a time, one decision at a time. Take care of the now, and tomorrow will take care of itself.

James 3:17, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

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I Wrote a Book

Echoes Through EternityI finished writing a book this week. It took more than two years. It wasn’t a biography or a memoir. I didn’t write about my achievements. It was about how I became me, about what happened in my life that transformed me and shaped me into who I am today.

Childhood Through Adolescence

I spent most of my early life very angry. Not at other people, but at myself. You see, I had a great father. He was a humble man who achieved great things. He quit high school at fourteen and became an itinerant farmhand, moving from job to job. When World War II broke out at 17, he lied about his age to join the Navy. He served in the Philippines on a minesweeper, clearing mines for beachhead invasions. He received two Bronze Stars for valor. His high school burned down during the war, which allowed him to attend college without a high school transcript. In college, he earned a degree in civil engineering.

He went on to become the Superintendent of Highways, the Chairman of our City Council, and the Chairman of the School Board. My dad was funny and never acted as if he were somebody. He was an incredible role model; he really was a good man. Dad was married to my mother for 72 years.

Somewhere along the line, I grew angry with myself. I never did enough, accomplished enough, or knew enough; I was consumed by anxiety about performance. That is the way I lived until my mid-forties. I wasn’t just driven; I was obsessed with my performance and accomplishments, never living up to my expectations. I was successful in business, but I never felt any relief. Despite all my earthly goods, I was not happy. By thirty, I was divorced and had a pacemaker. If someone tried to help me by giving advice, I felt humiliated because I didn’t already know what they were trying to teach me.

All of this was internalized. Outside, I was happy and well-adjusted. I didn’t want others to see my flaws. People saw me as intense and as someone who loved their work. I wish I could say that one day I broke and God fixed me, but that wasn’t what happened.

My Forties

One day in my forties, I picked up a Bible. Not because I felt God cared or even knew I existed, but because I was seeking answers. It helped. I read it cover to cover every year for about four years. I never once sought eternal salvation, only salvation from the life I lived. It calmed my anger and gave me perspective. It didn’t quench the drive within me.

Then, somehow, I came across a book by Lee Strobel titled “A Case for Christ.” Lee meticulously documented that every story in the New Testament is historically accurate. Christ lived, died, and rose again. He performed all the miracles described. I needed to go to Church. Who was this guy? This wasn’t a book of fables or stories; it was real life.

“If Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be, and He did die on a cross at a point of time in history, then, for all history past and all history future, it is relevant because that is the very focal point for forgiveness and redemption.” – Josh McDowell

Isaiah 44:22, “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

I went from church to church in search of answers. I was not, and still am not, a fan of religion. Arbitrary rules were piled onto the gospel in an attempt to segment the marketplace (Personal Bias). I ended up at a gospel-teaching church that simply preached what the Bible says. No membership rules, no membership classes, just the gospel.

For several years, I attended this church and learned about salvation. But I was still self-driven. I was perhaps calmer, friendlier, and much less angry, yet I remained focused on myself. I now wanted to be the best Tomme Stevenson God could make.

True Conversion

Then one day, a friend gave me a cassette tape of a one-man play called “The Bema.” The question was: What have you done for Christ since you met Him? My answer: Nothing. This is where my book begins. This is where true transformation began. It was when I stopped looking only at myself and started looking outward.

The book documents how an extremely logical, pragmatic person met Christ. How Christ used my life to mold me into the person I was always meant to be. How the person I am today is a light-year away from who I was. It is the tragedy of wasting almost five decades chasing meaningless things instead of living the life I was meant to live.

1 Corinthians 1:30, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”

It was a lot of dumpster fires and train wrecks; I’m a hard guy to get through to at times. But every one of them had purpose and meaning. Every one of them changed me for the better. I started looking at God’s plan and moving away from mine: I started judging results not by what I wanted to achieve, but by what God had planned.

I am now more relaxed, still a type “A” personality, but living by God’s standard, not mine.  These last twenty-five years have been the best. The book is my best description of how that transformation took place. It is simple lessons from an ordinary life learning to live for Christ.

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

P.S. if you want an electronic copy drop  me an email. It was created for my family, but otherwise not completely unreadable.

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God Never Intended Us to Stay the Same

God never expects us to stay the same.God Never Intended for us to Stay the Same. Many Christians can point to the moment they accepted Christ. They remember the day, the place, and the circumstances. It marked the beginning of a relationship that changed their eternal future. Yet for many believers, that is where the story seems to stop.

Dallas Willard once described what he called “Vampire Christians.” These are people who want the benefits of Christ without becoming His disciples. They want forgiveness, not transformation. They want salvation, not surrender.

While the phrase may sound harsh, it raises an important question: Did God save us simply so we could go to Heaven one day, or is He trying to accomplish something in us now?

A Greater Purpose

The Bible points to a greater purpose. God is not merely preparing a place for us; He is preparing us for that place. His goal is to shape us into the likeness of Christ.

Romans 8:29 “to be conformed to the image of His Son.”

That means Christianity is not simply about what we believe. It is about who we are becoming.

This transformation begins when we learn the heart of Jesus.

Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

When faced with everyday decisions, do we ask what Christ would do? Does our faith shape how we treat our families, conduct our business, respond to frustration, and serve our neighbors? Christianity was never meant to be practiced only on Sunday mornings. It is meant to shape every part of our lives.

Often God’s work in us comes through circumstances we would never choose for ourselves.

I asked for strength, and God gave me difficulties that required it. When I asked for wisdom, and He gave me problems to solve. If I asked for courage, and He placed me in situations that demanded it. I asked for love, and He brought hurting people into my path.

God’s gifts do not always arrive in attractive packaging.

Trials

James reminds us to view trials as opportunities for growth because they cultivate perseverance and maturity. The challenges we face are often the tools God uses to shape us into the people He created us to be.

James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Transformation is not something we accomplish alone. The Holy Spirit works within us to change our desires, guide our actions, and cultivate Christlike character. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—serves as evidence that God is actively at work in a person’s life.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit also equips each believer with unique gifts. These gifts are not given for our benefit alone but to serve others and advance God’s purposes. Part of spiritual maturity is learning how God designed us and using those abilities faithfully to help those around us.

Like physical growth, spiritual growth requires participation.

A person does not become physically strong by owning gym equipment. Strength comes from regular exercise. Likewise, spiritual strength develops through regular practices that draw us closer to God.

Prayer, Scripture, silence, solitude, worship, and service are not religious obligations. They are exercises for the soul. Over time, they shape our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

Goal

The goal is not perfection. The goal is progress.

Most meaningful change happens slowly. It results from thousands of small acts of obedience repeated over a lifetime. As habits form, old patterns lose their grip, and new ones begin to emerge.

God never intended us to remain as we were. He loves us enough to accept us where we are, but He loves us too much to leave us there.

The Christian life is not merely about arriving in Heaven someday. It is about becoming more like Christ today. Every challenge, every opportunity, and every act of obedience becomes part of God’s ongoing work of transformation.

The question is not whether God is working.

The question is whether we are willing to cooperate with what He is doing.

William Temple: “God’s purpose is to make us like Christ; God’s way is to fill us with His Spirit.”

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Another Year

Another year, another birthdayAnother year, another Birthday has arrived.

Preparation for old age should begin no later than one’s teens. A life that is empty of purpose until 65 will not suddenly become filled upon retirement. – Dwight L. Moody

At 76, I have gained something many people never do: perspective. Not because life has been easy, but because I have stayed engaged with it. I have seen success and disappointment, opportunity and poverty, faith and doubt, and love and loss across cultures and continents.

Job 12:12, “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life…. bring understanding?”

When I was younger, I measured life by milestones. Today, I measure it by opportunities. Opportunities to learn, to help, to encourage, and to leave something behind that matters. The milestones fade. The opportunities shape us.

When I was young, birthdays seemed to be about getting older. Somewhere along the way, I realized they are really about getting another chance to live.

Life rarely unfolds as we imagine. We begin with plans, dreams, and expectations. Then reality arrives. We encounter obstacles we never anticipated, losses we never wanted, and lessons we never volunteered to learn.

The road is rarely smooth.

Proverbs 4:7, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it costs all you have, get understanding.”

There are victories worth celebrating, yet they often arrive disguised as struggles. The promotion follows years of sacrifice. Wisdom follows mistakes. Strength follows hardship. Compassion is often born of pain.

Looking back, I can see that some of the greatest blessings in my life arrived disguised as disappointment.

Isaiah 46:4, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you.”

The challenges were not interruptions in life; they were life itself.

The failures taught me humility. The setbacks taught me perseverance. The heartbreak taught me empathy. The uncertainty taught me faith.

I would not have chosen many of those experiences, yet I would not be who I am without them.

Psalms 37:25, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken.”

As the years pass, I find myself less impressed by achievement and more by endurance.

I admire those who keep going:

    • The people who get back up after life knocks them down.
    • The people who continue loving after loss.
    • The people who continue to hope even when circumstances offer little reason to do so.
    • The people who quietly do what is right when no one is watching.

The world often celebrates the extraordinary moment. I have come to appreciate the extraordinary life built on ordinary faithfulness.

    • One day at a time.
    • One decision at a time.
    • One act of kindness at a time.
    • One step forward at a time.

Psalms 92:14, “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.”

Birthdays have also taught me something about gratitude.

    • I am grateful for the people who walked beside me, even if only for a season.
    • I am grateful for those who encouraged me when I doubted myself.
    • I am grateful to those who challenged me because they helped shape me.
    • I am grateful for the opportunities God placed before me and for the strength He provided when the path became difficult.

Most of all, I am grateful that God is not finished with me yet.

    • Every sunrise is evidence of purpose.
    • Every breath is a gift.
    • Every day is another chance to learn, to serve, to encourage, and to leave the world a little better than we found it.

I do not know how many birthdays remain ahead of me. None of us does.

But I know this: Life is not measured by the number of years we are given. It is measured by how we live them.

So today I celebrate—not because I am another year older, but because I have been given another year to run the race.

    • Another year to learn.
    • Another year to serve.
    • Another year to love.
    • Another year to grow.

And until I run out of time or money, whichever comes first, I intend to keep running.

Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

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A Tree Does Not Hear Its Own Growth.

A tree does not hear the sound of its own growth

A tree does not hear its own growth resonates because it captures something deeply true about human experience.

GROWTH

Growth is usually silent as it happens. A tree does not hear the deepening of its roots, the thickening of its trunk, or the widening of its branches. It simply continues to respond to sunlight, storms, drought, seasons, and time.

Only years later does someone stand in its shade and realize what it has become.

Proverbs 21:21, “Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor.”

Human growth often unfolds the same way. While we are living through it, it rarely feels dramatic or meaningful. Most days feel repetitive, uncertain, or unfinished. We tend to notice failures, limitations, and the distance left to travel more than the gradual transformation unfolding beneath the surface.

INWARD FOCUS

What we miss is that discipline becomes character, suffering becomes empathy, repetition becomes mastery, and action becomes a legacy.

Others often see the growth before we do.

That may partially explain why we sometimes doubt our impact. The person inside the process feels the struggle, not the full shape of the outcome. The tree knows only the wind’s resistance; it does not see the forest changing around it.

Philippians 2:3, “Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.”

And perhaps that is why simple continued action matters so much. Growth rarely announces itself in the moment. It accumulates quietly until one day the results become impossible to ignore.

OUTWARD FOCUS

When outward acknowledgment becomes the primary goal, growth is often distorted, not always destroyed but redirected. Inward growth is usually anchored in truth, purpose, competence, service, curiosity, or conviction.

Outward growth is anchored in applause, comparison, visibility, approval, status, or validation.

The problem is not acknowledgment itself. Humans naturally want to be seen and valued, which is normal. The danger arises when external recognition becomes the standard for worth or progress.

Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

Because then several things tend to happen: action becomes performance, authenticity becomes branding, patience weakens because recognition is usually desired immediately, difficult but meaningful work gets abandoned if it goes unnoticed, and identity becomes dependent on audience reaction.

One of the strange realities of life is that some of the most important work receives little immediate recognition, including raising children, mentoring, caring for others, building integrity, helping people in need, and quietly serving communities.

These things often echo across decades without public acknowledgment.

THE SOUND OF YOUR ECHO

Matthew 23:12, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Meanwhile, outward validation can become addictive because it temporarily resolves uncertainty. Praise tells us:

“You matter.”
>“You succeeded.”
>“You are enough.”

But the effect fades quickly, so greater recognition is needed to sustain that feeling. That creates a cycle in which a person increasingly lives from reaction to reaction rather than from conviction to conviction.

 “Character is what a man is in the dark.” – Dwight L. Moody

Inward growth is slower and quieter, often lonelier too. Yet it tends to foster stability because the person’s direction no longer depends entirely on the crowd. Ironically, many people who create lasting impact are not primarily chasing recognition. They are absorbed in the work itself: solving the problem, building the thing, helping the people, or pursuing the mission.

Recognition sometimes follows as a side effect rather than the primary objective.

That connects to: “People should focus not on my achievements, but the change that occurs from simply acting.”

That mindset naturally protects against being trapped by external validation because it prioritizes process and consequences over image.

Don’t listen for the sound of your own growth; just keep doing.

Proverbs 20:7, “The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him!”

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Buried but Not Forgotten

Buried PainBuried but not forgotten, I was asked today to join a panel to discuss one of the most painful events of my life. The purpose is noble: to help others understand pain, survival, and the hidden struggles people carry. We go through these stages to refine ourselves and become more human in our interactions with others.

We live in a broken world where pain is an inevitable part of our lives. Because we only know our own experiences, it is hard to imagine others going through the same thing. Our pain is unique to us.

John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Buried

What you have gone through prepares you to help others. It makes you relatable. It also gives you the experience to know that you can survive and thrive in a world that is doing its best to crush you. That is an important message to pass on.

But pain is pain. Much of it I have buried deep in the ground. I have even removed the headstone so I do not go back to revisit it. It is part of me. It influences decisions in subtle, subconscious ways. I don’t have to make friends with it. I need to understand it and find a way forward without letting it dictate my life. And I have.

Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Now I have been asked to resurrect it. I have been asked to go deep into the woods and find the indentation in the ground marking its resting place. I must search for it. Remember where and why I buried it. Then I have to revive it, bring it back to life in front of others.

Resurrected

I don’t know how. I’ve gone over it and over it in my mind. How do I talk about something so personal without being condescending or glib? How do I keep from masking the hurt and shame while staying honest? No one, not even my closest and dearest friend, knows the whole story. Mostly to protect the other party, partly to protect myself.

I’m afraid I have no advice today except this. That day, the one that changed my life forever, was not a hard decision. It came naturally.

God said, “Do this,” and I did.

I think it saved a life.

But it cost me everything.

To the outside world, it was a failure on a grand scale. But to me, there was no plan “B”. I have never regretted it, and given the chance, I would do it again.

Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Living

But there is a scar that runs deep. Every once in a while, I gently rub my hand over it to remind myself I am still alive. I have to do that because I am human, and until that changes, I will feel pain from time to time.

I have a God who has never abandoned me, even in the moments when I could not understand the cost. In my darkest hour, He is there. There is nothing I will ever go through that is a surprise to Him. And, if I allow, He will use it for my good.

2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

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What Was There Before?

BeforeThe basic question one asks when seeking God is: what was there before? As humans with limited knowledge and finite experience, we struggle to grasp something that has no beginning or end. Our minds are wired for sequence—before and after, cause and effect, start and finish. Everything we have ever known fits within that framework.

So when we turn our attention to the universe, we instinctively ask:

What was there before it began?

No matter how we theorize about its origin, we feel there had to be something prior—something that set things in motion. That instinct is deeply human. It reflects how we understand everything else in life. Every event has a cause. Every effect has a source. Nothing appears without explanation.

Or so it seems.

Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”

Following the Chain

Science has taken us remarkably far in answering the “how” of existence.

We can trace the universe backward through expanding galaxies to an early, dense state described by the Big Bang theory. We can move deeper still, beyond matter into energy, and further into the quantum fields that govern particle behavior. At that level, what appears to be space is anything but empty. It fluctuates. It moves. It produces temporary bursts of energy, governed in part by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

But this only pushes the question back.

If particles come from fields, where do the fields come from?
If fluctuations arise from laws, where do the laws come from?

We move from one explanation to the next, but the chain never completes. It simply ends—somewhere.

Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Where Explanation Stops

At some point, every explanation reaches a boundary.

Philosophers such as Aristotle recognized this long before modern science. If every cause requires a prior cause, you are left with two options: either the chain goes back infinitely, or there is something that does not require a cause.

Later thinkers, such as Thomas Aquinas, argued that an infinite regress does not truly explain anything. Instead, there must be something that is—something that does not come from anything else and exists by necessity rather than by chance.

Modern thinkers have challenged that idea. Bertrand Russell famously dismissed the need for a deeper explanation, saying the universe is “there, and that’s all.”

Three different conclusions. Three different stopping points. None of them is fully satisfying.

John 1:3, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

The Problem with “Before”

Part of the difficulty stems from the question itself.

When we ask what came “before” the universe, we assume time existed before the universe. But according to modern physics, time is not outside the universe—it is part of it. It began with the universe.

2 Peter 3:8, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

If that is true, asking what came before the universe may be like asking what lies north of the North Pole. The question assumes a framework that no longer holds.

And yet, even if we remove time from the equation, the deeper question remains:

Why is there something rather than nothing?

Colossians 1:16, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

Four Ways to End the Question

When we strip everything down, there are only a few ways to answer that question.

      1. Something has always existed.
        Reality, in some form, is eternal. There is no beginning to explain.
      2. Something exists necessarily.
        There is a foundational reality that must exist. Everything else depends on it.
      3. Reality explains itself.
        The universe is a closed system with no need for an external cause.
      4. There is no explanation.
        Existence is a brute fact. It simply is.

These are not scientific conclusions. They are philosophical endpoints. Every line of reasoning eventually lands in one of them.

What We Are Really Asking

When we ask what came before the universe, we are not really asking about time. We are asking about dependence.

      • What does everything else depend on?
      • What is the foundation beneath the foundation?
      • What is the one thing that does not require an explanation?

We can move backward from matter to energy, from energy to fields, and from fields to laws—but eventually we encounter something that does not point to anything else.

At that point, explanation gives way to acceptance.

Hebrews 11:3, “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

The Quiet Conclusion

There is a point in this line of thinking where progress stops—not because the question is flawed, but because we have reached the limits of what explanation can do.

Something must exist that does not come from anything else.

It just is.

1 Corinthians 8:6, “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”

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Overworked and Underpaid

Work Hard“We are overworked and underpaid.” Every generation says it. My grandfather said it, my father said it, I’ve said it, and now my daughter says it too.

The language changes, the economy shifts, and jobs look different—but the feeling remains the same. Life often feels like a constant effort just to keep up. There is always more to do, more expected, and rarely enough reward to match the effort.

So, what do we do with that feeling?

You Are Exactly Where God Wants You

This is the part most people resist. If we truly believe in God’s sovereignty, we must also believe this: You are where God wants you and when God wants you there.

God does not waste time, nor does He waste effort, and He certainly does not misplace people.

That means even in seasons when you feel overlooked, underpaid, or taken advantage of—God is not absent. He is intentional.

That doesn’t mean every employer is fair. Scripture doesn’t pretend they are. In fact, Jesus directly addresses this tension in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1–16), where workers receive what appears to be unequal pay. The lesson isn’t about fairness—it’s about trust in the Master. Each worker agreed to the compensation when the job was offered. It seemed fair then and met a need. But when compared with others, it later seemed unfair. The lesson is to accept your decisions and not complain when others make a better one.

To complain about being in the middle of God’s plan is, at its core, to question the plan itself.

That’s a hard truth—but it’s also a freeing one.

Work Is Worship

We often think of worship as something we do in a church setting. But Scripture paints a much broader picture. Work is worship.

Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

If that is true, then your job is no longer just a job. Your boss is no longer your ultimate authority, and effort is no longer tied to your paycheck.

You are working for God. That changes everything.

1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

And Proverbs reinforces it:

Proverbs 14:23, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

The opportunity to work—to build, to contribute, to grow—is not a burden. It is a gift. The question is not whether the work is fair. It is whether you are faithful in it.

Do the Work Without Complaining

This is where it becomes difficult.

Philippians 2:14–15, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing… so that you may become blameless and pure.”

Why?

How you work is a testimony. Anyone can work hard when they feel valued. Few people can work faithfully when they feel overlooked. That difference is what sets you apart—not just professionally, but spiritually.

You are not just an employee; you are an ambassador.

The Question Is Not “Why?” but “What?”

When life feels unfair, our instinct is to ask: “Why is this happening to me?” But Scripture quietly redirects that question. A better question is: “What am I meant to learn here?”

If God has placed you in this moment, then there is something in it for you—something to refine you, strengthen you, or prepare you.

Colossians 4:5, “Be wise in the way you act… make the most of every opportunity.”

And in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30), the servants are not judged by what they were given—but by what they did with it. Your current situation may not be ideal. But it is still an opportunity.

A Hard but Necessary Question

There is also a moment for honest reflection. How did you get here? Did you follow God’s direction—or your own desire? Or did you step into this role out of calling—or convenience?

If the situation is the result of your own choices, then the response is not frustration—it is correction.

Proverbs 12:11, “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.”

God does not waste time—but we sometimes do. The good news is this: even when we make missteps, God can still use the situation to shape us.

The Perspective That Changes Everything

Being overworked and underpaid may not be a punishment. It may be preparation. Preparation for discipline, responsibility, and something greater that requires more than you currently have.

If you cannot be faithful in a difficult season, you will not be ready for a better one. So instead of asking: “Why is this happening to me?”

Ask: “God, what are You teaching me here—and how do I use it?”

Because the same situation that frustrates one person can build another.

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