For the last several weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, forty gardeners have been planting 7 million tulip bulbs at Keukenhof Gardens in the village of Lisse, a short drive from Amsterdam, Netherlands. They are planting 900 varieties in all types of colors and shapes spread over 80 acres with gorgeous water features, fountains, bridges, sculptures that can be viewed by walking over 9 miles of footpaths.
Earlier in the Spring of this year, my wife Linda and I strolled those exquisite pathways and experienced the millions of elegant tulips that were planted a year ago. We not only admired the beauty of the blooming artistic patterns, but even more, we were in awe of the gardeners who designed the garden and then planted the generic-looking bulbs without even seeing the shape or the color of the flowers. Those few hours spent rambling the pathways of the world-famous Keukenhof, led to gratitude-filled reflections for the bulb breeders, designers and planters.
As in all of life, a beautiful flower bulb park does not just happen. Years before, one hundred bulb growers around the world were creating, experimenting and breeding new colors and shapes of tulips. In the Spring, a year prior to blooms, the designer works on both overall garden design and individual flower bed designs for the coming year. The designs are precisely implemented in the Fall of the year. Each bulb is planted by hand, one at a time. Every bulb planted must be exactly the right color and type of flower bulb. Each bulb must be at a certain depth and the distance between the bulbs must be specific for the beautiful effect. For the 8 weeks the gardens are open to the public, it takes 10 months of preparation. Nothing is left to chance. The 7 million bulbs must be in the ground before Christmas. After a hibernation period in cold soil, the warming dirt stimulates the tulip bulbs to bloom in late Spring.
Life is no different. Nothing can be left to chance. Linda and I are celebrating 50 years of marriage this year because we’ve repeatedly sowed positive actions and words of blessing into our relationship. Our three adult children are living fruitful lives because we raised them in an environment where the soil was cultivated, watered and fertilized regularly. Our major life work, the planting of Cape Christian over 38 years ago, is flourishing because we laid a solid foundation based on God’s call to love Him and to love people. We are living without financial stress in partial retirement because we regularly made sacrifices for decades to set aside a percentage of our income into our retirement accounts. Best of all, we have been intentional about investing into our spiritual well-being through consistent spiritual practices of prayer, reading Scripture, worship and fellowship for many decades. As a result, our daily character usually imitates doing what Jesus did. Nothing has been left to chance.
On this Thanksgiving week, give thanks for those in your life who left nothing to chance. Express gratitude for those who have modeled consistent constructive values for you to follow. Choose to be precise with what kind of “bulbs” you are planting in your soil—relationally, spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally and more. A gorgeous garden is simply a result of what you have cultivated, planted, and watered.
It’s one of the hardest physical tests I’ve ever taken. When I was in high school, I played basketball, soccer and track, and those were sometimes very difficult tests of endurance. But this one, at 70 years old, I think was the pinnacle. I’ve been calling it the test of all tests.
Climbing to Grinnell Glacier was very difficult. Almost eight weeks ago now, my friend Phil Rivera and I spent five days in Glacier National Park, Montana. Photography was the focus. Hiking was necessary to get to some of the locations we wanted to photograph. Ten years ago, as one of six students of a professional landscape photographer, I had hiked about two-thirds of the way to Grinnell Glacier for an evening of sunset photography. But this time, we went all the way to the top. With 30 pounds of gear strapped on my back, we hiked from the Many Glacier Lodge parking lot, to the very top. From 5,000 feet to over 7,000 feet. Two-thousand feet elevation gain. About 6 miles up and then back down. It took 11 hours. My Fitbit tracker showed over 38,000 steps that day. Plus, it was the only rainy day we had of our five days at Glacier. It was literally hailing when we got to the top.
What is needed most when we encounter difficult tests in life? I could talk or write for a long time about all of the lessons that could be learned from a challenging hiking experience. But here are the most important three that came to mind.
1 – One Step at a Time. All 38,000 steps were taken, one at a time. One foot in front of the other. Over and over again. If I would have spent my time counting the steps, marking the miles to go yet, thinking only about how difficult it was going to be, I would have never made it. The same applies to other difficult things I’ve encountered as a leader, a pastor, a parent, a spouse or you name it. All tests must be taken, one question at a time, one problem at a time, one step at a time.
2 – Keep the Big Picture in Mind. Don’t forget the reason you are doing what you are doing. Purpose is of utmost importance. Know your why. We wanted to experience and capture photos of one of the most scenic spots in the Rocky Mountains. If you don’t have an end in mind, you will likely give up the climb. Parts of the hike were grueling. The continuous rain meant crossing waterfalls that had formed along the mountainous rocky path. We frequently paused along the way to enjoy the beauty of where we had come from and to remember what was still at the top. The same must be true of challenges and difficulties of our life journeys.
3 – Everyone Needs Encouragement. I’m quite certain that if I would have been alone that day, I would not have made it all the way to the top. Phil, my hiking partner, gave me encouragement many times along the path. Others coming back down the trail after being at the top invigorated us when they told us it was worth it. They didn’t sugarcoat it. They told us the last ½ mile was going to be the worst. Yet, they reminded us we would be glad we persevered. While I think I was maybe the oldest one hiking to the top that day, so many younger people gave me hope and reinforcement that I could make it. Difficult times in life have been the same as that day on the trail. Friends and family have fortified my determination to not give up when it was arduous, and my energy was depleted. Don’t hike or do life alone. Everyone needs support and backing, especially when we are tested to the max.
Being Tested is Good. When I see my cardiologist tomorrow for my annual check-up, I’m going to let him know what I did and that I did it without any negative cardiac symptoms. I did have lots of “shortness of breath” with the 2,000+ foot elevation gain and the heavy camera pack on my back, but I expected that. When we are tested in life, we know how strong we really are. When we are tested, we are strengthened for the future. When we are tested, we have a better idea of what we are capable of. Jesus’ brother James wrote, “Consider it pure joy…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” (James 1:2-4 NIV). Just remember, when testing comes, you only need to take one step at a time, keep the big picture in mind and have others alongside of you to take the journey with. Happy hiking!
Yesterday, I remembered that it was on August 15, 1979, that I officially started my journey as a pastor. I was 25 years old. Already married almost five years. We had two young boys, ages 3½ and 9 months. We had just purchased our first home that week. It was my first day on “the job.” It was the start of a seven-year pastorate. My first church. Elmira, New York. The beginning of 45 contiguous years of being a pastor.
Knowing what I know now, what would I tell my 25-year-old self if I could rewind my life and go back to that day? I was specifically reflecting on four areas of my life. What would I tell that 25-year-old Dennis in those four areas?
FAITH – I had already committed myself to follow Jesus nearly 15 years earlier. I had already sensed an emerging call to my life purpose 10 years earlier at age 15. At 25 years old, I was not new to faith or new to the call of being a pastor. But 45 years has taught me some things. I would now tell a much younger Jesus-follower that spirituality is messy. There is not a clear-cut linear line from saying “yes” to Jesus to moral perfection. There is no living “a happily ever after” kind of faith. I would tell a 25-year-old that God’s love and grace is especially abundant for imperfect people. You can relax in the ebbs and flows of a loving relationship with God and not be worried about messing up a perfectly aimed trajectory of religious activity. There is nothing I can do to make God love me more or love me less. I would tell a 25-year-old Dennis to always take God seriously but to take himself a lot less seriously.
HUSBAND – I think I was a decent husband at 25. Although there was that one time that something Linda did or said set off an embarrassing reaction in me that never happened before or since. My hand shot up in the air as if the next thing it was going to do was to come back down and strike her. It scared me. Badly. Before then, I would never have thought I was ever capable of hitting my wife. I didn’t. But I was sobered by the fact I had that potentiality inside of me. To this day, we talk about it and neither of us can remember what was said or done. We just remember, the time and place of the incident. And it reminds us that our 50 years of marriage hasn’t been without flaws. But by God’s grace, we’ve not just survived but thrived in our marriage. I would tell a 25-year-old Dennis to do the same things we did. We worked at our marriage. We read books on marriage. We went to marriage conferences and retreats. We went to counseling. We had honest conversations. We pushed through the tough times. We worked hard and played hard.
FATHER – My three adult kids tell me I was a good dad. When they compare themselves to their peers who have a boatload of baggage due to really messed up parenting, they see themselves as blessed. But if I could have a conversation with 25-year-old Dennis, I would say, “relax more and don’t take yourself too seriously.” I was overly perfectionistic about too many things. Things that don’t matter as much as they did back then. Keeping the car clean inside and outside. Getting their clothes or shoes dirty. And much more. But I would also tell my 25-year-old self that I would never regret prioritizing playing tennis with my son, going fishing with my other son, or playing and coaching my daughter in soccer instead of giving in to the demands of so much potential ministry that could have still been done. Being home four to five nights a week for family dinners instead of at church was a good choice. Choosing to take a weekly day off with very few exceptions was worth it. Choosing to take vacations with the family was worth it. Choosing to keep my promise to take my kids to a professional baseball game instead of leading a major annual church event (that had been changed due to weather) was a huge statement to my kids and our church. I would inform a 25-year-old Dennis that most of the people in my churches would come and go and many parishioners wouldn’t even remember my name a decade later, but my kids would never forget the times they knew I chose them over the seemingly urgent and important demands of ministry.
PASTOR – Now that I’ve had 45 years of pastoral experience, there are a few things I would tell my 25-year-old self. I would counsel him that you are more than your title. Your identity as a pastor is only a small portion of who you are. You are a child of God, a husband, a dad, a grandpa, a neighbor, a community leader, a photographer, and more. Your sacred calling is unique. It’s more than a job. But you are more than a pastor. I would let that young pastor know that people are messier than you imagined. People will tell you about their incomprehensibly ugliest sins. You will have to go to morgues to identify bodies. You will be with families when their loved one takes their last breath. You will assist people toward a life transformation that will affect generations to come. You will be sad when people didn’t follow your wise counsel. You will have to tell people the worst news they will ever have to hear. You will sometimes not have words to comfort the hysterical parents of a child who just committed suicide. You will be asked for answers to unanswerable questions. You will take the brunt of a board member’s unwarranted anger and accusations and then they will walk away and leave without even an apology or a goodbye. You will get the privilege of seeing abundant fruit from a small seed planted decades ago. I would tell a young pastor that it is not either/or. It is both/and. It is sweet and sour. But mostly sweet. A wonderful and fruitful 45 years it has been. There is very little I would change. It is a privilege to serve. I’m very grateful.
QUESTION: What are some things you would tell your 25 year old self?
I love butterflies. In fact, this past year, I started a small butterfly garden in our backyard. I planted the vegetation necessary to attract Monarch butterflies which lay eggs, hatching as caterpillars, going into pupa stage and metamorphosis, emerging as butterflies. Just a few days ago, I saw two new butterflies taking their first flutters outside our master bedroom window. It was satisfyingly beautiful to watch our effect on the Monarch butterfly population.
Have you heard about the “Butterfly Effect?” No, not the 2004 science-fiction movie. I’m referring to the idea that started with Edward Lorenz, a meteorology professor at MIT. He entered some numbers into a computer program simulating weather patterns and then left his office to get a cup of coffee while the machine ran. When he returned, he noticed a result that would change the course of science.
You can research the details of the “butterfly effect” but the gist is that the flutter of a butterfly’s wings could ultimately result in a tornado at the very end of a multiplying sequence of chaos and randomness. While not as linear and predictable, there are similarities to a stone that is dropped in a pond. There is a ripple effect of one action leading to a disproportionate reaction. Allow me to share a personal story about this multiplied impact.
We saw butterflies in motion a couple days ago. My wife and I were on a two-person mission trip. We were using a diesel truck to pull a large “shower” trailer from our southwest Florida community to southern Alabama. It was the first leg of a “Diesel Express” relay journey to get this trailer owned by Fellowship of Christian Farmers to Iowa where their disaster relief volunteer teams are being mobilized to go assist tornado victims. It had been parked in Florida the last 18 months to assist volunteer teams who had assisted after the devastation of Hurricane Ian. We had one of four trailer tires disintegrate about 500 miles into our 600+ mile trip. That’s when the butterflies appeared.
We were stopped at a remote rural gas station parking lot. I had already jacked up the trailer and taken the old rim with its shredded remnants of a tire off in the 94-degree humid heat of late afternoon. I had the spare tire ready to go on but, even with two stacked blocks of wood, I couldn’t get the jack quite high enough to get the inflated spare on to the hub. That’s when three “butterflies” showed up. Young men in their 20’s. Christian, Harrison and Lawson. Lawson asked, “Do you need help?” I said “yes.” And they went to work.
The conversation was far deeper than finding solutions to getting the new tire on. They wanted to know about the Fellowship of Christian Farmers and where the trailer was going and why. They wanted to know what I did for work. I found out they were on their way home from an overnight kayaking trip. I discovered they became friends at a church youth group in nearby Crestview, FL. They found out that helping me change a tire was ultimately going to impact farmers in Iowa who were going to get much-needed help in recovering from the destruction of recent tornados. Volunteers from across the country were coming to Iowa to help and they would have a place to shower and clean up after a long day of work before they went to sleep on a cot in a church. These three “butterflies” were not creating a tornado but the movement of their wings was generating healing from a tornado. The ultimate “butterfly effect.”
It was a divine appointment for them and for us. Their stop at a gas station at the end of a float down the river, had turned into their own mission trip. They realized they were serving the people of Iowa by taking less than an hour of their time to help us get the shower trailer back on the road, headed toward its ultimate destination of service. And it was a definite answer of prayer for my wife who was watching her 70-year old husband kneeling and sweating on the ground in brutal Florida summer heat. Thank you Christian, Harrison and Lawson for living out your faith in Jesus by being His hands and feet when you saw a need. My wife and I were reminded that the next generations behind us are filled with servants who will bring hope and healing to their generation and the generations after them. God is good. And butterflies are beautiful!
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. While it was first recognized in 1949, it has never been more important than now to recognize the role mental health plays in our overall well-being and the value in raising awareness and helping those in need receive treatment. As a pastor for 45 years and a police chaplain for 28 years, I know the uphill battle of working with people who are often resistant to acknowledging their need of getting mental health or pyschiatric care. But it isn’t just “out there,” sometimes it is very nearby. I invited my wife of 50 years, Linda, to share her story. She has courageously done so in this guest blog below. ~ Dennis
It’s OK to Not Be Ok – by Linda Augsburger Gingerich
Elisabeth Elliot, author and personal sufferer, defined suffering as “having what you don’t want and wanting what you don’t have”1. In January of 2022 I began to experience severe anxiety and depression as I had not experienced before. In 1989, I had received a diagnosis of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and have been on medication for many years. My symptoms, of which some were anxiety and depression, were drastically reduced. I occasionally had small relapses where I needed medication adjustments, but nothing hit me so drastically as this episode of anxiety which affected my whole body. It is hard to describe to someone what a true anxiety disorder feels like. I felt it in my arms, my chest, my gut, my mind, my whole being. I felt as if I was in a constant adrenaline “flight or fight” mode. This is what the body can do under severe stress. It remains in the Sympathetic Nervous System mode of flight or fight. One can only remain in this state for so long without it eventually affecting all your body systems.
Interestingly enough, I retired from labor and delivery nursing in January 2022. I had a major change in my routine and yes, even in my sense of worth and value. It is amazing what such a change can create for many people. By the end of January 2022, I had “what I didn’t want and wanted what I didn’t have.” Peace, rest, and a sense of well-being. I constantly felt unsettled and even depressed. I wanted to stay away from everyone.
My first resort was to pray and ask God to bring relief and guide me into what was needed for my healing. Since I had been on medication for OCD symptoms for many years, my next action was to determine if I needed a medication adjustment. I sought out my psychiatric provider who prescribed a change. But that did not work. I can’t even remember how many different medications I’ve tried over the last 2 years, to no avail. I was not sleeping well at night which only made my days more difficult to endure. So much activity was going on in my mind and body that resting for a nap during the day was impossible.
I was determined to do whatever I needed to do to bring relief to my mind and body. I knew that God is the God of the impossible and that He could heal me. But that prayer was slow in coming. I know that while on earth, Jesus did not always heal without asking the sick person to also do something. A blind man needed to GO and wash the mud off his eyes. A group of men with leprosy were told to GO and show themselves to the priest to verify their healing. A woman who had a bleeding issue for 12 years had to PUSH HERSELF through a crowd as an “unclean” woman who was not to be seen in public and she REACHED OUT to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe. She was instantly healed, but not without effort on her part. Nauman, in the Old Testament, who had leprosy, was told by a prophet to GO dip in the river 7 times before he received his healing.
I began to investigate as many avenues as possible. I made an appointment with my Gynecologist and had a panel of hormones tested to see if something was out of range. I spent many sessions with a mental health therapist who led me through facing some of the trauma in my past and with God’s help coming to a resolve that his presence was in my life at all times, having a specific plan for me. I adjusted my diet, eating what was good for me and avoiding the food triggers that added physical stress to my body. I began to exercise on a more regular basis and get out in the sunlight for a few minutes each day. I was already seeing my psychiatric provider to assess the medication effects. One of the avenues she used was to do a DNA profile to see which medications would work the best for me. I continued to read the Bible and helpful books on anxiety, trusting God’s word that says, “whoever seeks will find.” I felt at times it was no use, but I kept on.
It has been two years!! Two long years!! I am beginning to see the light at the end of a very dark tunnel. I cannot say it has been just one of those avenues that began my healing, but I believe all of them have helped me get to where I am today. I finally found a medication combination that is bringing relief. My body is not feeling the tingling sensations of the anxiety in my arms, and chest. My mind is resting. My insides feel settled. I am at peace with my past. I can take a nap at midday. And so very importantly, I have a husband who has prayed, out loud, for me daily and who has been in my corner, helping me set boundaries where I needed to, to protect my need for separation from busyness and people, so I could heal.
My therapist shared three very helpful words NOT to use in my vocabulary. “WHY?” is the first word. Instead of asking “Why is this happening to me?” I needed to ask “What can I do to change and how can I help myself in this journey?” “SHOULD” is the second word because it correlates to shame and is detrimental to the nervous system. The antidote to “I Should” is to say as possible, “I will…I can’t…I won’t or I can.” The third word is “BUT.” For example, instead of saying, “I’m sad but I have to go to work.” Find out the “HOW” I can take care of myself before going into work? We need to be gentle with ourselves2.
In my case, I did not receive an instant healing. God led me to many different avenues that all have been helpful in coming back to a homeostatic level. But God has been with me and I thank my thoughtful, concerned and loving husband who has walked with me through this long journey.
Some lessons along the way:
- I am not a superhero – I’m human.
- It takes time to process grief and loss, anger and pain.
- I need to continuously take care of my mental and emotional health.
- I need to sleep, and I need to heal.
And I know God promises to use all things we experience to bring about good…at some point in His time.
I finally am having what I have been wanting!!!
1 Elisabeth Elliot, Suffering Is Never for Nothing (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2019), p. 9.
2 Brene’ Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
At our weekly staff meeting today, one of our next-generation leaders (less than half my age) spoke on one of our 12 Codes that we continuously cover, one at a time, week to week. His specific assignment code was “We are Faith-Filled, Big Thinkers: We dream big, celebrate big, and take big risks because we serve a big God.” He took us to Numbers 13 and the story of Moses sending a representative of each of the twelve tribes of Israel on a six-week covert mission to put real eyes on what this long-time promised land looked like. They were given a lengthy checklist of things to report back to Moses.
When the twelve returned, it was show and tell time. Everyone gathered around. Affirmation was given that Canaan really was as promised, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” And then verse 28 is the pivot. A list of all the reasons why it was too hard, too expensive, too big a task, and too impossible. But two people out of the twelve, whose names we most likely remember if we have heard the story more than a few times, disagreed: Caleb and Joshua. The other 10, well, we don’t even remember their names. The majority said, “we can’t.” The minority said, “we can.”
Pastor Brandon Holmes then spoke briefly about the majority of the 10 “we can’t” naysayers and how the rest of their lives must have been disappointing and unfulfilling. They were not faith-filled, big thinkers. They had nothing big to celebrate because they weren’t willing to take a big risk and they invested all of their time and energy in spreading discord and trying to convince everyone else why the risk was too great and the task was too tall. What a short-sighted and miserable way to exist.
I listened to the challenge of Pastor Brandon to our staff not to become comfortable with the amazing victories we see every week: radically transformed lives, five thousand people gathering weekly for worship, and thousands more who congregate at our family park and other types of events we host. Yet, there are still tens of thousands in our city and beyond who haven’t been reached. And, as I listened, I was ready to sign up… again!
This Easter weekend, 37 years ago, is when my wife and I publicly launched the church where I still serve on staff, Cape Christian. And now, with the leadership successfully handed off to the generations behind me, I absolutely love to hear the same heart and vision birthed nearly four decades ago being boldly proclaimed to our team. “We are Faith-Filled, Big Thinkers.” In the middle of 10 scouts who are now only a footnote in the story, I am so encouraged to see a new generation of Caleb and Joshua’s who will stand up to the mediocre majority and declare “we can.” While we were easily prepared for the 100 who showed up at that first Easter service in 1987, we are now enthusiastically primed for the possible 10,000 who may attend the seven services this Easter weekend.
Sign me up! While I am partially retired and only a half-time pastoral staff member these days, I can’t wait to see the lives that will be eternally changed this weekend. And, best of all, the next generation of leaders are incredible. Our Lead Pastor, Cory Demmel and other executive leaders like Brandon are not only talented leaders and passionate about loving God and loving people, they are faith-filled, big thinkers. They too are willing to be the minority who cast a vision that “we can” rather than make excuses for why “we can’t.” And the reason I’m right behind them, supporting them, following them, and cheering them on, is because they have zero desire to settle for the fact that “we did it” for the last 37 years and should now rest on our many successes.
Instead, they will not be satisfied with mediocre, middling, run-of-the-mill, average effort or results. There is vision. Our city continues to grow. When we began the church, there were less than 50,000. Now our city is over four times larger at 210,000. And since we are faith-filled, big thinkers, we just might have an opportunity, in the next 37 years, to forever impact one more person, one more couple, one more family, one more generation. Sign me up…again!
QUESTION: Where in your life have you been the minority and stood up with a “We Can” posture while the minority said, “We Can’t”? I’d love to hear about it.
It is true. My birth certificate, passport and driver’s license all agree. I’ve lived 7 decades. Most of the time, I don’t feel like what I imagined 70 to feel like back when I was in my 50’s. But, it is true. I’m there. I could write 70 things I’ve learned in 70 years. But you wouldn’t take the time to read them. So, maybe you will read just these seven.
Live Authentically – The easiest thing to be in the world is yourself. The hardest thing to be is what others want you to be or to try to mimic someone else. Your fingerprints are uniquely different from the other 8 billion people on this earth. Just be yourself. Be in tune with your values and passions. Learn what fulfills you. Prioritize what brings you peace. Self-awareness is one of the keys to living authentically.
Live with Intentionality – Purposeless living is meaningless living. I’ve spent at least the last 50 years being very intentional about my relationship to my wife, Linda. Linda and I were intentional with parenting our three children. We were purposeful about starting a church that had a clear mission and focus. We’ve been deliberate about our health. I’ve been specific as to how I would grow my photography skills. I’ve embraced aging and planning for the legacy that I want to leave behind. And by the way, intentionality should never be confused with intentions. As Henry Ford said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.”
Listening is a Key to Success – There are many aspects and measurements for success. I could list a dozen reasons that success follows some and not others. But the top one is listening. David Augsburger, my wife’s late uncle, wrote it this way: “Being heard is so close to being loved that, for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.” Leaders, parents, marriage partners, politicians and friends are successful when they learn how to carefully listen. Listening to those different than you in age, views, values and beliefs. Listening matters. It really matters.
Love Unconditionally – This is how I’m loved by God. It is a life-long process of learning to accept and give that kind of love. Love without strings attached is special. Not based on what someone does for you in return, this love is selfless. It’s the key to good mental, emotional and spiritual health. Receiving and giving unconditional love provides a sense of security in both childhood and adulthood. No human relationship is perfect. So, accepting and giving unconditional love involves acceptance and forgiveness. I’ve discovered that only God can ultimately give us the strength and inner resources to love this way.
Letting Go Can Be Better Than Hanging On – This can be counter intuitive. We naturally want to hang on to the familiar and comfortable. It takes courage and self-awareness that something is not serving us anymore. For me, it started with a decision to either stay at home in Oregon and go to a local college or move across the country and attend college and seminary in Virginia. While pastoring my first church in upstate New York, there was a decision to be made. Do I persevere beyond the seven years of a difficult and toxic environment or let go of the familiar to move 1,300 miles away to an unfamiliar setting to live out a life-long dream of starting a new church with no guarantee of success? Again, after more than two decades of unprecedented growth and success, should I let go of my lead role in the organization I started to let an untested younger leader lead? No matter if it is parenting children into adulthood, leaving the younger years behind to embrace the unknown of middle or mature years, letting go has ultimately proven to be better than hanging on. There is power in letting go.
Learn How to Grow Your Fruit On the Trees of Others – This is one of my greatest joys at this stage of my journey. Tasting the fruit growing on the trees of my successors and younger leaders is the best. Recently, I was awed to witness 20 of our top city leaders (city manager, fire chief, police chief, finance director, etc.) all listening to my successor teach on servant leadership at our monthly business leaders’ luncheon. For nearly three decades, I have planted seeds, watered them and tended to relationships with many of those leaders and their predecessors. Yet it was the growing connection of my successor with the current city manager that led him to bring his entire executive team to grow their leadership skills at our church. To know that I planted seeds that have grown into productive fruit-bearing nourishment for our top city leaders and thousands of others every weekend is so much better than the limits of keeping it all for myelf and doing it all myself.
Live With the End in Mind – Not just now at age 70, but for several decades, I’ve been asking this question of myself and many others at funerals I lead: “What do you want to be remembered for as a spouse, parent, grandparent, neighbor, leader?” You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you could make decisions today that may very well change the ending. If you only live out of your default mode, you may not be remembered for what you wish. Forward-thinking legacy-leaving individuals and leaders plan for both their future and the future of things and people they value. As a labor/delivery nurse for 33 years, my wife Linda, always encouraged her new parents upon discharge from the birth center to remember “the future is in your hands.” What outcomes do I want for this child, this family, this job, this role? Habit number two of Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” is to begin with the end in mind. This learning is pivotal for your physical, mental, emotional, relational and spiritual health. It may sound obvious, but if you don’t have an end goal in mind, how on earth are you going to get there?
These seven learnings above, have brought me to a place of great contentment, inner peace, and satisfaction at this point of my journey. Whether I have two years or two decades left in my journey, I’m filled with confidence that I’ve lived out God’s purpose for me well, I’ve left a significant contribution to those around me, and I have no regrets. So, on to the next decade of purposeful living!
QUESTIONS or COMMENTS? Take a moment and let me know if you have any learnings to add or any questions about the seven I’ve included.
On this day, 37 years ago, our family arrived in Cape Coral, Florida on a dream and a prayer. The dream was to fulfill a calling that had started more than a decade before. The dream was to start and build a church whose mission was to lead people to Jesus Christ and help them discover who God created them to be. The dream was targeted toward reaching young unchurched families through using contemporary worship, relevant down-to-earth messages in welcoming and engaging, age-appropriate environments.
Our prayer on this day nearly four decades ago was from Ephesians 3:14-21: 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
A dream and a prayer. Both have been critically important to the successes of the last 37 years. And, we have lived long enough to learn that dreams take time and dreams take work. We totally understand that it’s complex, challenging and requires large doses of grit to see a dream come true. But that is where the second and more important half of the equation comes in. An ongoing daily prayer of humble awareness that a dream is lived out in the power of God’s strength, His love, and His fullness. And we are most grateful that He has done immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine.
We are so blessed. Thirty-seven years later, our young children have young children of their own. Cape Christian is now led by extraordinary leaders that were young children or only a dream of their parents when the church was launched. We now have six services every weekend that gather over four thousand people from across Southwest Florida to worship and grow in their love of God and love of people. The fourteen-acre campus is open 365 days a year as a place the families of our community can gather in the park to play together and connect with each other. And the best part: every week, we hear powerful stories of life transformation, family restorations, acts of service for our community, and generosity of time, talent and treasure for the world.
The dream is still alive. There are still future dreams and prayers in the hearts of the young leaders. The potential is bright. A larger worship center to serve our growing community. More campuses in surrounding cities. Greater generosity to bless others as we have been blessed. The dream of God is still being revealed and lived out.
Thank you for your prayers. As they were needed decades ago, they are still needed today. And tomorrow. We appreciate all of those who have partnered with us in prayer and in rolling up your sleeves to help us live out the dream over the last several decades. While my wife Linda and I embodied and led the dream into reality, we certainly didn’t do it alone. With the help of so many of you and with the strength, wisdom and power of God, we are living out a God-given dream. We are grateful and blessed.
Nearly 20 years ago, I made a decision. I chose to create a leadership succession plan for the organization I founded. Very close to committing myself to follow Jesus, marrying my wife and starting Cape Christian, this decision is one of my very best! I recently passed the 14-year mark since I implemented that succession plan. Here are some reflections.
Intentional Legacy-Leaving is Rewarding – Tom Mullins, author of Passing the Leadership Baton wrote, “A transition will be one of the greatest tests of your leadership, but it will also serve as one of the greatest rewards and testimonies of your legacy.” That is truth. Real. Truth. There have been a few tests along the path. But so many more rewards than tests.
Level-Five Leadership is the Pinnacle – Jim Collins, John Maxwell and others speak and write about the pyramid of leadership that peaks at level 5 where you serve others, empower those under you, give away leadership, hand credit to the team, take responsibility for failures and demonstrate deep humility. I’ve diligently pursued the quest to climb to the top. Planning and executing a succession plan has been so fulfilling and fruitful because the organization I founded has excelled in ways I had only dreamed of. Level 5 leadership is worth chasing.
Long-Term Success is Superior to Short-Term Wins – Twenty years into starting and leading a church, I dreamed of building an organization that would outlive me. I dreamed of a church that would go faster and further after I was out of the driver’s seat than when I was in it. Now, 14 years and three successors later, I can attest to the fact that those first two decades of many small wins have been far surpassed by the long-term success of an organization that is now ready for the long-haul.
The Mission is Bigger Than Me – I said and meant it early in my leadership journey. But it’s different to fully grasp it. To start something and lead something that is much bigger than me and won’t end with me brings such a sense of contentment and significance to me. There’s nothing more humbling and fulfilling.
Maximizing Your Impact Means Minimizing Your Ego – The greater you hope your impact to be, the more you will have to fight against your ego. Those two are mutually exclusive. You can have great impact and a great ego. But I would contend, your impact will soar upward in almost direct proportion to your ego going downward. Humility is the doorway to maximum impact.
It’s Harder Than It Looks – So many people have told me, “I couldn’t do what you’ve done. I’m just not wired that way” when they’ve heard our succession story. Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Yes. There is a bigger vision and there are daily choices to make. In spite of the way I’m wired, I can choose to be rewired by the Holy Spirit and have the same mindset as Jesus (see Philippians 2:5-8). I can choose to humble myself. I can choose to be a servant. I can choose to not be offended if I’m not honored in the way I would prefer. I can choose to kneel and wash someone one else’s feet as Jesus did (John 13). I can choose to leave a legacy.
My Fruit Tastes Better on the Trees of Others – I have always loved Bob Buford’s desire to have his “fruit to grow on other people’s trees.” Seeing the results of leadership development and the establishment of a culture of an intentional mission and purpose doesn’t just look nice on the trees of others, it even tastes better. I especially love the fruit of what I’ve planted when I see it coming off the trees of my successors and bringing nourishment and joy to thousands. That is even more satisfying than when they used to feast on what I produced.
Forward-thinking legacy-leaving leaders plan for both their future and for the future of the business, non-profit or church they lead.
QUESTION: Which one of the 7 do you find the hardest and which one do you find the easiest? (Leave a comment.)
The Above Topic Will be Shared on this “Daily Faith” TV Show
Nearly 20 years ago, I made a decision. I chose to create a leadership succession plan for the organization I founded. Very close to committing myself to follow Jesus, marrying my wife and starting Cape Christian, this decision is one of my very best! I recently passed the 14-year mark since I implemented that succession plan. Here are some reflections.
Intentional Legacy-Leaving is Rewarding – Tom Mullins, author of Passing the Leadership Baton wrote, “A transition will be one of the greatest tests of your leadership, but it will also serve as one of the greatest rewards and testimonies of your legacy.” That is truth. Real. Truth. There have been a few tests along the path. But so many more rewards than tests.
Level-Five Leadership is the Pinnacle – Jim Collins, John Maxwell and others speak and write about the pyramid of leadership that peaks at level 5 where you serve others, empower those under you, give away leadership, hand credit to the team, take responsibility for failures and demonstrate deep humility. I’ve diligently pursued the quest to climb to the top. Planning and executing a succession plan has been so fulfilling and fruitful because the organization I founded has excelled in ways I had only dreamed of. Level 5 leadership is worth chasing.
Long-Term Success is Superior to Short-Term Wins – Twenty years into starting and leading a church, I dreamed of building an organization that would outlive me. I dreamed of a church that would go faster and further after I was out of the driver’s seat than when I was in it. Now, 14 years and three successors later, I can attest to the fact that those first two decades of many small wins have been far surpassed by the long-term success of an organization that is now ready for the long-haul.
The Mission is Bigger Than Me – I said and meant it early in my leadership journey. But it’s different to fully grasp it. To start something and lead something that is much bigger than me and won’t end with me brings such a sense of contentment and significance to me. There’s nothing more humbling and fulfilling.
Maximizing Your Impact Means Minimizing Your Ego – The greater you hope your impact to be, the more you will have to fight against your ego. Those two are mutually exclusive. You can have great impact and a great ego. But I would contend, your impact will soar upward in almost direct proportion to your ego going downward. Humility is the doorway to maximum impact.
It’s Harder Than It Looks – So many people have told me, “I couldn’t do what you’ve done. I’m just not wired that way” when they’ve heard our succession story. Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Yes. There is a bigger vision and there are daily choices to make. In spite of the way I’m wired, I can choose to be rewired by the Holy Spirit and have the same mindset as Jesus (see Philippians 2:5-8). I can choose to humble myself. I can choose to be a servant. I can choose to not be offended if I’m not honored in the way I would prefer. I can choose to kneel and wash someone one else’s feet as Jesus did (John 13). I can choose to leave a legacy.
My Fruit Tastes Better on the Trees of Others – I have always loved Bob Buford’s desire to have his “fruit to grow on other people’s trees.” Seeing the results of leadership development and the establishment of a culture of an intentional mission and purpose doesn’t just look nice on the trees of others, it even tastes better. I especially love the fruit of what I’ve planted when I see it coming off the trees of my successors and bringing nourishment and joy to thousands. That is even more satisfying than when they used to feast on what I produced.
Forward-thinking legacy-leaving leaders plan for both their future and for the future of the business, non-profit or church they lead.
QUESTION: Which one of the 7 do you find the hardest and which one do you find the easiest? (Leave a comment.)
The Above Topic Will be Shared on this “Daily Faith” TV Show
