For most of my adult life, I either took credit for the good that happened and believed that I could recover from any setback by learning more and redoubling my effort. And it pretty much worked, though the side effects were exhausting. I was seldom free from fear of failure and the potential loss of both my material possessions and reputation. 

In 2007, my worst fear was realized when I lost my business after 14 years of pouring myself into it. There is a proverb that says, “God writes straight with crooked lines” and looking back, I can see many good crooked lines in my life. Despite my selfishness, God used those “crooked lines” to lead me back to Him. 

After the bankruptcy, I had time to think about how I had been living my life and concluded that there were many things I needed to change to have the better life I envisioned. For many years, I avoided getting too involved with parish life and certainly never took on anything too demanding or outside my comfort zone. After all, it was secondary to providing for my family and paying the bills. But now, I was becoming curious about finding out how God could be more relevant, and even necessary, for attaining this new life I was wanting to build for my family.

I wanted more peace, less fear, more joy, less anger, more charity and less judgement. On realizing this, I recalled from years of being a practicing Catholic that all these things and much more are gifts from God, and He wants us to have them in abundance. 

I knew that whatever I did moving forward, I needed to spend more time learning about my faith. With that realization, I started saying yes to attending Bible studies, faith studies, seminars and listening to Catholic podcasts and viewing talks online. I also began taking an active role in a few ministries at our Church. 

As I learned more, I believed more and as I believed more, my love for our Lord Jesus grew.

By this time, I had met so many wonderful people in our parish and the greater Catholic community who helped me to grow in faith and my love for Jesus. I am forever thankful to them for their kindness and encouragement to continue the change that had begun in me, to trust and love Jesus more with my life.

Through this part of my faith journey, by learning and experience, I have come to believe more firmly that Jesus is the Son of God who became man as a pure and selfless sacrifice to God, for the atonement of my sins, for love of me, so that I may have life with Him eternally in heaven.

Yes, I have known these words for most of my life but until now, they were just words. Through time with God in prayer and meeting Him often in the sacraments of confession and the Holy Eucharist, I have changed.

During this time, I felt the need to offer certain sins and weaknesses to Jesus during Adoration, with the promise and certain hope of his help, to eliminate them from my life so that He could continue to work in me, on me, and through me, according to his will. Thank you, Jesus. 

I started out by telling you in my renovated life, I wanted more peace, joy, and love. I am happy to say all these things are more a part of my life today than ever before. I thank our loving and merciful God for all the graces He has given me on this journey. And today, well I am always filled with these gifts when I witness the overflowing love and wonder others experience after meeting God in a way they had never known before. 

Often these experiences come from a desire and a decision to know God more by joining a faith study, Bible study, prayer group or some other way to learn about Him together with others. Often, they hear God speaking through others journeying with them in the group. It’s awesome! We have all been invited. What about you?

Tim is 50 years married with 5 children and 11 grandchildren. He has been a member of St. Matthew’s Parish since 1983. 


#WeAreProclaim is a story campaign by the Proclaim Movement. Inspired by Humans of New York and the Archdiocese of Detroit’s I am Here campaign, it will showcase missionary conversion stories of people from the Archdiocese of Vancouver. Check out the rest of the campaign on Facebook and Instagram at @weareproclaim.