After five years of subsistence living, trying to plant a church, I'd had enough. The five years before this experience, we had experienced God's sufficiency, even though many days were like manna in the wilderness—God's provision was just enough. Just enough resources. Just enough encouragement. Just enough hope. But after five years of church planting, I couldn't do it anymore. I was empty. I knew the church deserved more than my burned out heart could give. I also knew my family deserved more. With the blessing of my wife and children, I resigned with nowhere to go.

It was a season of lostness, but it also revealed ways that God enters our darkness.

The footprints disappeared

I had never been there before. Throughout my life, following Jesus had been a challenge not because of his direction, but because of my willingness. This time however, it was his direction (or the lack of it), that was the problem. It was like I woke up one morning and the footprints I had been following disappeared. ...