A Lesson in Humility

This is it, the final countdown.  It's the moment of truth.  Emerging from the cave for a second time, with a family memoir about to be shared, I wanted to have a heart-to-heart chat with you. If you can imagine that reading these daily blogs is like peeling away an onion, then this is the moment where the final layer is about to be removed. I find myself naked and vulnerable, my innermost feelings now fully exposed.

There is a part of me that doesn't like this feeling. It's the part that wants you to think I am some kind of superhuman, a warrior who can win no matter the odds and who can withstand any kind of trial. The truth is that I'm not. I am just a regular guy who strives to keep food on the table for my family and a smile on my beloved wife's face no matter how difficult the circumstances.

You will never know how serious the attacks have been from the dark side because I will keep these issues private in order to protect family members. The only reason I am publishing a family memoir about my father is because I feel the Creator wants to use my life to draw the lost closer to Him. You are more important to him than my pride.

Hiding in a cave all these years while pursuing money and praise from others gave me a false sense of security. Now the final layer of the onion is gone. I am defenseless in front of you. There are no barriers around my heart. My bank account is empty and my pride has been stripped away. I am exactly where God wants me to be. Finally, I am usable for Him. Not because of who I am, but because of who He is, the One who lives in my heart. Everything that was once me is dead. What you see today is a new creation, one that the Creator has been shaping and pruning for 50 years.   If it were up to me, I would have preferred a little LESS pruning. The pruning was necessary in order for the Creator to develop a new person, completely free of hatred, prejudice, pride, selfishness and greed.

This naked caveman is ready to serve you. Thank you for allowing me to share my life with you. The greatest lesson that I have learned on this amazing journey is that no man is a failure who has friends. I have been humbled by many events that have taken place in recent times, however, I have learned that true friends never abandon you. If you are one of those people, from the deepest regions of my heart, I thank you. I love you.