Forty Days Full - An Invitation To Real Life

and seek to learn as much as I can from my own mistakes. The result was the near destruction of our whole team. Most of the team members left their leadership roles and eventually the church. My wife and I and one other couple were all that remained of a team of twelve. As with most leadership meltdowns of this nature, a large amount of people left the church as well. We were already in a serious financial crisis and our income suddenly dropped almost immediately by one third. Life Church was in trouble, big trouble. On top of that, I was broken. My team members had been my friends. I cared deeply for them, but I was also very angry at them for what had happened. There were lots of tears and sleepless nights. But God did not abandon me. At the point of my deepest pain, a peace came over me. There was a hurting church that needed leadership. God gave me a picture of a leathery old man standing behind the wheel of an old sailing ship. Waves were crashing over the boat and winds were beating against it, but the man would not move. That man was me. It was my responsibility to guide the ship through the storm to safe harbor. He gave me a supernatural peace. If you've ever found peace in the midst of a crisis that would usually unhinge you, you know what I'm talking about. It can almost feel like an out of body experience. Rather than freaking out, you see everything clearly, you know what to do and how to help the situation. This kind of peace is not based in human logic or intellect. Peace does not flood a room because a good argument was presented. Bill Johnson says, “The peace that passes understanding requires us to give up our need to understand.” This is why it is so elusive to most. This is what makes it supernatural. It comes from heaven’s realm to influence this earthly realm. Sometimes, I forget the peace He has given me