The Hand of God
Contributed by Jim Donovan
There I was living in a tiny bedroom in my parents’ not-so-large, five room apartment. I had, as they say, “run out of options.” My life was out of control, way out. Had it not been for mom and dad’s willingness to let me stay with them, I would have been homeless living in Central Park or another one of New York City’s fine parks. Years of rampant excess had brought me to my knees.
I would lay awake at night, unable to sleep, pleading with God to help me. I prayed, begged and bargained for my life to change. I just wanted to get my life back on track, for it had been years since I lived anything that resembled a “normal” life.
As they say, “We plan and God laughs.” God’s plan for me was quite different from mine. God’s plan brought me to the detox ward of a local hospital, since He knew where the real problem lay. I remember sitting on the beat-up old couch on the second day, the day when one experiences the physical bottom of the detox and, with my arms reaching out, looking upward saying “Okay God, either take me or help me change.” To be quite honest, at that moment, it didn’t much matter to me which He chose. That fateful day was many years ago, and my life has never been the same from that moment on.
The hand of God reached directly into my life and changed my course from one of self-loathing and imminent death, to a life that is beyond my wildest dreams. I believe that, at that very moment, I surrendered. Something in me shifted and I became willing to open my mind and listen. I stopped trying to do it my way and took the suggestions that were being offered.
I began rebuilding my life, one day at a time and, some years later, started writing about the ideas and techniques that were helping me regain what I had lost and more. Little did I know where He was taking me next. From what began as a simple newsletter in 1991, I have since written several books, which have been published in 22 countries and are read throughout the world. What an awesome feeling and honor it is for me to receive letters from people across the globe whose lives have become better as a result of reading something I wrote and acting on it.
Today I have a wonderful life, complete with a loving and supportive wife and beautiful home but, more importantly, today my life has purpose. Today I realize that the hand of God reached into my life so that I could share my message of hope and possibility to help others. Today I have the privilege of touching the lives of people throughout the world with my books and speaking and I am forever grateful that His will, not mine, was done.
Jim Donovan is the author of “Handbook to a Happier Life,” and is a motivational speaker and business coach. For more information about Jim’s newsletter, his articles and other resources, go to: http://www.jimdonovan.com