Pastor Mark recently received a letter from a lady in our church family and we’ve included an excerpt from the letter below. Last week, Pastor Mark was able to read the letter and invite mom and daughter on stage to pray over them, along with the congregation, and encourage them. And, in even better news, dad accepted Jesus as his savior the week before this video clip took place.
Click below for the full video as Pastor Mark reads the letter, talks with the family, and prays over them during service at Trinity.
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Dear Pastor Mark,
My personal spiritual journey back to God began almost two years ago. I won’t bore you with the details…but it seems that I was destined to find your church and you. I had been experimenting and pursuing the path back to God through yoga and meditation. It is my 13-year-old daughter that was pushing me toward church and Christianity. I was raised as a Christian and had a love for Jesus, but lost my way believing I was intellectually above ” religion”. I did not raise my children with formal, religious education. I exposed them to tradition and a smattering of churches and temples but was fearful of “brainwashing or indoctrinating” them with the promise of a savior. I wanted them to rely on themselves.
My daughter has been declaring herself a Christian since a young girl. I heard her but did not necessarily encourage her…I was invited to your church by a very trusted friend. One fateful Saturday, she and I agreed to go to your service. It was day one of the book of James, baptism day. Your sermon was so moving, so relevant…my daughter turned her face toward me and said “I want to get baptized”. Her father is a brilliant, kind, intellectual and an all-around renaissance man. He did not like her declaration. My daughter, who adores her father, did not fear, did not cower and did not deny herself. We kept going to church, every Saturday at 4p. We could not wait for Saturdays to come. She planned her baptism and her father had to get beyond his beliefs and fears to show up for his daughter and decided to see what she was experiencing. He was moved after his first visit, recognizing your intelligence, your message and the meaning. He came back the next week. He went to her baptism the following week and cried at witnessing her faith and courage. We celebrated her day with family and friends.
My husband has not been himself for months. I thought maybe he was depressed due to stress, though he denied it. I knew something was not right…he was stubborn and did not take my advice to get formally evaluated. My daughter said to me several weeks ago “I know dad has a brain tumor”. Turns out she was correct. Our last visit to Trinity you spoke about the brevity of life. My daughter grabbed my hand and we held it tightly for the entire sermon. She knew and has known all along. My husband was somewhere in the church but not seated with us. Turns out he had to leave immediately after the service due to a horrible headache. That night I called an ambulance, and we are now facing a new reality. My daughter is a child of God. She has single-handedly brought us to Jesus. She is guiding my husband through his spiritual journey. My husband said “I felt Pastor Mark’s sincerity”. He said “I felt his love”. Though I could be fearful and devastated; for some reason I feel more joyful than ever before. I wake up with a feeling of abundance and gratitude. My life is exploding with Christians at every turn. God is moving us. After crying upon hearing the diagnosis of her dad, she said “It’s time to pivot”.
I’m certain that you face hate every day. You face cancel culture and the evil forces trying to take our freedom. Please continue to speak the truth and know that you are guiding us. Guiding my precious daughter and husband and impacting my entire family. We are spreading the good news. My daughter hopes to meet you in person one day although I realize why that might not be possible. But know that she loves you. She loves Jesus. She finds her strength in his word. Trinity is our home.
