Learning To Trust God In The Desert. By James Crutcher

What does it mean to have your Faith tested, challenged, and exploded?  

Helping children to grow and excel in life has been part of me since I was a child myself.  When I was in the fifth grade, I was part of a group tasked with helping first graders read better. I created a game that improved students’ reading levels at Jefferson Elementary in Dayton, Ohio. I was later invited to Wright State University’s Education Department to lecture future teachers on what I used to help those children improve their reading scores.          

As a Deputy Sheriff, I created a program to help reduce violence in two neighborhoods. The 150 families we worked with had a less than .5% recidivism rate. 

So when it came to my own children, I looked forward to doing at home what I did for others. Well, our first child resulted in a miscarriage.  Our second child, a daughter, Cortney Marie, went back to the Father after 11 days. Then we had our amazing son. Then our fourth child, a daughter, Olivia Faith, went back to the Father after one month.  I was devastated. 

I questioned my faith. How could a loving God allow this to happen? What have I done to deserve this?  At that point, I still had to stand and lead as a father and husband.  What I outwardly said to my family about staying faithful to God was not what I was feeling inside.   

I read Job, but I felt I didn’t have his strength. Then Joshua 1, vs 1-9 entered my life.  The light that was Moses was gone. How could I help people move forward when I felt stuck?  As I read, I felt God say, “As I was with Moses, I will be with you.”  I didn’t understand it.  But in business, I lead a team of many single women to learn entrepreneurship and feed their families.  I went back into coaching track teams and have watched young people blossom into successful adults. I didn’t understand then and still don’t fully grasp the magnitude of growing successful people.  All I know is that those I have the privilege of coming in contact with and spending time with become very successful.  So I have thankfully learned to go where God leads.