Jesus Christ long has been the center and integrating factor in my life.  My journey of faith with Him began as a young boy, when I received salvation in a small congregation of the Church of the Nazarene.  Nurtured by members of that loving community of believers, my initial, toddler-like steps of faith were strengthened.  It never ceases to amaze me that almost all of the skills I use today were first practiced before these supportive Christians who believed in me.

            Committing my life to Christ as a “living sacrifice” came in the supportive environment of a small Christian college, where I discovered that Christ was worthy to be Lord of my life.  An interested, engaged faculty challenged me to see who I might be in Christ, how I might related to God and others, and how I might organize my life in such a way as to implement God’s mission for my life.  It was here that I met my wife, Carol, and for thirty-seven years, we have created a life-long partnership of serving Christ together.

            I am grateful that my spiritual growth and development is an ongoing process rather than a completed event.  A faculty member at Seattle Pacific University noticed that I had not spoken of God, the father, as I shared my journey of faith in an interview prior to my being selected for a position in the School of Education.  This observation came as a surprise to me, and I could only surmise the oversight was due to my being raised by a mother in a single-parent family.  Understanding God as a loving father had always been outside my personal experience.  Since my colleague’s observation, however, I have delighted in experiencing God as my father, one who cares for me and sent His Son for my redemption.  I am in awe of His grace and provision in my life.

           Life continues to unfold as the Holy Spirit guides and directs my life.  I have learned that my spiritual gift is teaching, my calling is bringing to my relationships affirmation, growth, and healing, and my joy is mentoring people who are developing their potential to serve others.  I continually am given opportunities to teach, counsel, and mentor people in informal and formal settings.  The Holy Spirit has made it clear that I am a vessel through which Christ now lives through me. 

            This is not to suggest that life has been easy.  My father left my family when I was an infant, my daughter died of cancer, and my son was in a serious accident while in high school.  Learning that God is sufficient in the crises of my life has been a confirmation of my faith.  I have had the privilege of learning that in all things God works for the good if we love Him.  He has provided comfort and healing and has given me the ministry of helping others in their pain. 

            A few years ago, I discovered in my study of Acts that uncertainty is a wonderful place in which to grow as a Christian.  As I continue to look to Christ as the source of my strength and hope, I am learning the difference between wanting something from Him, and just wanting Him.  The key to my faith lately is not what He will do for me, but what He wants to do with me. 

            Since arriving at Seattle Pacific University, I have been seeking God’s help in the integration of faith, teaching, and learning.  I was recently excited by the “still, small voice” that urged me to share my story of faith with students while describing a counseling theory that focuses on the idea that one’s identity can be described through a narrative story.  I am excited about the opportunities before me that enable my Christian experience to inform my discipline.

            Finally, I seek to finish the race He has set before me.  My aim is to maintain a vital faith over the long haul.  After all of these years of knowing the Savior, my desire is to live life in Christ to the full to the end.  Yes!

WJR: 6/03/02