We turned off the highway, and I felt the terrain underneath our vehicle change from asphalt to gravel as we pulled into Bison Ridge Retreat Center. My friend Peter and I had arrived in Overgaard, Arizona to bless 60+ disabled veterans, family members, and volunteers with music and a message of hope.
I couldn’t see the group of people assembled in the chapel, but I quickly learned from the organizer that there were an array of disabilities represented in the room – some visible, some invisible. Every veteran present had endured a life-altering moment while serving and was now daily coming to terms with a new reality.
Though I’ve obviously never been in combat, I remember how I felt at 19 years old when I suddenly learned I was in stage-four kidney failure and that I would need a kidney transplant to survive. The plans I had for myself were derailed, and it took time for me to come to terms with my new reality, and to fully trust God in the midst of it.
Peter guided me up onto the platform, and I sat down at the keyboard as he readied his violin.
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After getting everyone laughing and playing a few favorite tunes from my American Idol days, the tone in the room changed as I shared the gospel.
Pain is inevitable in life, and far too often we run from it or pretend that it’s not there. But is it possible that sometimes when we run from pain, we are running from Jesus?
In Romans 5:3-4 we read, “…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Nathan, a vet, and his wife Leslie, a worship leader at their church, were one of the couples attending the retreat. They’d been having marriage trouble, and their pastor had been trying to get Nathan to open up for over 3 years. During a time of open sharing near the end of the retreat, Leslie humbly stood up in front of the entire group and said, “I just want everyone to know that I am committed to my husband and to my family.”
Following their time at the retreat, their pastor said that something had dramatically changed in Nathan’s and Leslie’s lives and that this couple is now on a path to healing!
Don, an older combat veteran who attended, said he’s never cried so much in his life. “It was a good cry. God has just torn open my heart and shown me how much Jesus loves me.”
God will one day take all pain away for good, but in the meantime, he promises that our pain will not be wasted. Jesus calls us all into a suffering with purpose, a suffering which leads to hope!
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“I woke up early,” he said, “and for some reason I walked out into the living room and turned on the television, and there you and Christina were singing.”
I listened eagerly as James, who saw our TV Special air in Detroit, told me over the phone how he had stumbled onto our program.
“After watching for a few minutes, I thought about changing the channel, but God said just watch a little longer, just watch a little longer!”
When he heard about God sustaining me through blindness and kidney failure, suddenly he was glued to the TV. While serving in the military, James lost all feeling in his left arm due to a seizure, yet amazingly, he still has use of that hand and plays the organ in church! He told me, “God gives each of us what we need at the right time, and I needed your music and testimony that morning…you have no idea! People are being saved because of your story and songs!”
God is continuing to bring many people who are physically struggling just like James to see our TV Special and, through it, find spiritual hope in Jesus. “Enduring Hope” has reached over 200,000 people to date, and with your help, we are committed to reaching 1 million people with it’s timely message by the end of next year!
Thank you so much for continuing to support us and our mission to draw people into deeper relationship with Jesus through music and the arts.
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Do you know someone in your family or friend circle who needs encouragement right now?
Share this link to our TV Special with them, and pray that God would stir their heart to gratitude for the enduring hope found in Jesus!
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Scott MacIntyre Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit department of A.C.T. Intl and exists to help children, students, and adults find hope in Jesus Christ in the midst of adversity through inspirational music and story, utilizing live performance and media. Your donations help us share the message of hope in churches, schools, hospitals, and blind centers around the U.S. and beyond.
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