Successful solutions are often made by people rebelling against bad opportunities.
I grew up with some handicaps. My teachers wrote” ND has big problems with reading and writing”, they said I was a dyslexic.
I believed them. My grades where bad. Than became worse.
No wonder.
My self-esteem was below zero. I didn’t talk much, because of my insecurity I started to stutter.
I was blocked
Stories always fascinated me. I would think up grand adventures, but I was afraid to write them down.
I couldn’t spell.
Fresh start
At the age of 12 I moved with my family from Switzerland to the USA. Everything was in English now. At first it brought fear to my spelling ability, but I realized that it was a chance to start fresh. No teacher knew that I was a dyslexic. As I learned a new language my stuttering started to disappear. My self-esteem started to grow.
Accepted
When I returned to Switzerland at the age of 15 I had to learn German again. Still afraid of making mistakes I did my minimal and started to use my mouth over writing for communication. I had accepted that I couldn’t write, so I would become a speaker. Working as a salesman and a youth pastor was great. Speaking was my greatest tool. I didn’t have to write a lot, or let someone else do it for me. I had accepted the inability to write.
Overcome
At the age of 36 my life took another turn. My job changed from being a youth pastor to a coach and leader developer. Communication didn’t change right away. I still spoke a lot. More and more people told me, that what I said would be great in writing.
At the end of 2009 I wrote my first blog post.
Today you can download my book for free.
“With God nothing is impossible!”
Don’t claim ownership of Ideas
IDEAS ARE OPEN SOURCE.
Give away everything you know, and more will come back to you.
Blog auf Deutsch.
“Risk great things for God, and God will do great things.” – William Carey
“Oh my God”, I cried out, “Something like this may not happen a second time! I will not survive it!” What had happened?
One Sunday I had invited a friend to come to church with me. I could feel his tension; he hadn’t entered a church service for many years. I was sitting next to him with a thankful heart, because God had answered my prayers and my friend finally came to church with me. After the service was over, I asked him: “How did you like it?”
He turned to me with an angry face and said: “Don’t you ever do this again! I haven’t seen such a boring, lifeless, irrelevant and unprofessional performance in a long time. I would rather sleep in my bed than in these chairs here. Don’t you ever invite me to a church service again!”
My joy vanished in less than a second and turned into frustration, but I did not give up, so I asked him: “Is it the faith in God that made you upset?” – “No,” he said, with a now more sad tone in his voice, “it is the style of the church, the sound and style of the music, the atmosphere, and how the people interact with each other.” I knew exactly what he was talking about; I told him that I was sincerely sorry about it.
That night I couldn’t go to sleep for hours. His words were hurting me. I knew that his criticism had hit the bulls eye.
I cried to God: “Why is church the most boring place on earth for many people? What has changed in church that so many people are afraid of it?”
This experience set a godly, radical energy free in me. A church is put together of very many different kinds of people. It could become the most attractive and interesting place on earth with God changing lives if only everyone would serve by using their personal talents. Then the church would have that unlimited power, which would spread sparks of hope.
“The world will thank you, if you try something new.” – Anselm Grün
Out of this and other similar experiences, ICF was founded.
Now I want to bring this kind of church to Cambodia.
Support our family with prayer during this transition time.
