I’m kind of a human doing, not a human being. I don’t do well being laid back. I’m a Corvette sitting at the stoplight, revving the engine, ready to burn the tires.

I’m also an entrepreneur and I’ve never seen a good opportunity I didn’t want to get involved in.

But even the most driven individuals can face situations that bring life to a screeching halt, and we can learn and grow from them. Here’s my story.

My background

I started investing in stocks when I was just 13, went to business school and dreamed of being a stockbroker.

I married a woman named Michele and started my career as a sales rep for the Hormel Company. But soon our lives were about to head on a different trajectory.

A friend challenged me to consider joining a large Christian organization, called Cru, to help bring college students into a relationship with God. What seemed like a tangent proved be a great fit for an entrepreneur like me.

But at 44 years of age, as my life and ministry were soaring, everything was about to come to a standstill.

A sudden halt

One day after working at Arizona State, I came home and my wife, Michelle, looked at me and said, “You have stage 4 colon cancer.”

I was shocked, to say the least.

I had recently met with my doctor about some elevated lab numbers, including a liver function test (LFT). A normal reading would be like 80. Mine was 2,200.

My doctor sent me for further testing to a gastroenterologist. That’s when my wife received a phone call and heard the terrible news.

No one likes to hear the words “Stage 4 cancer.” It meant the cancer had moved beyond my colon, which is often a death sentence.

Hell Week

Within days, I had surgery at Mayo Clinic. They cut me up, took out what they had to, and re-plumbed me. It was like Hell Week at a fraternity— only it lasted three months.

Yet, I still felt immortal. Somehow, the reality of what I was facing hadn’t quite sunk in.

Up to that point in my life, I’d always kind of lived above my circumstances. I didn’t believe in a no-win situation.

Nurses would joke, calling me “Mr. Telephone Man,” because I was making work calls from my hospital bed.

Hitting the wall

I thought I would be getting out of the hospital in 10 days. But one of the nurses leveled with me: “We’re just going to be glad if you can get out of here at all,” she said.

That was a wake-up call.

Not long after, my wife and son, AJ, came to visit me, and I shared the grim news with them.

“I need to be honest with you,” I told them. “I’ve kind of hit a wall and I don’t know if I’m even going to get out of here.”

And AJ said, “Dad, I hit a wall last Thursday when your 9-hour surgery turned into 13. We thought we’d lost you then.”

It was kind of a breakthrough moment for me, being able to share honestly with my family about the fear and uncertainty I was facing, instead of just pushing it aside with positive thinking.

Even though it felt good to share the struggle, I still didn’t know if I would survive.

How I found hope, strength and peace against cancer

I had begun a relationship with God earlier in my life, yet this experience shook my foundations.

For most of my life, I found a lot of hope through positive thinking. When I faced challenges, I just pulled up my sleeves and worked through the problems.

But there was something about this situation that changed my perspective. It was like an atomic bomb went off in my life and woke me up. I finally said, “I’m mortal.”

And I thanked God for it.

Finding hope

I realized that God was not impressed with my no-lose attitude. He wanted to be in the process with me. The Bible often talks about how when we face fear and uncertainty, we can pray—not just about some things, but everything.

Like it says in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

These words bring comfort and hope.

It’s real hope. It’s not just the trumped-up power of positive thinking stuff.

Dealing with cancer forced me to trust God entirely with my life.

I’ve realized, that if I’m still here, God wants me to be. And therefore, he’s got things for me to do. But if he doesn’t allow me to keep living here, I still have hope, because he will take me home to be with him in heaven, which is better.

It’s a win-win situation. Or you could call it a hope-hope situation.

Whether I get to go home and be with God or get to stay here, either way, I win.

Back on campus

After my surgery and 30 rounds of chemo, I eventually recovered. Somehow, I beat the odds and my cancer never returned. As soon as I could, I returned to campus ministry with renewed vigor—but also a different perspective.

For one thing, I didn’t think so highly of myself. I don’t think that arrogance and pride are spiritual gifts, and the ministry I had started was still doing great in my absence. I began collaborating more with colleagues I was previously competitive with, including expanding our ministry to high school students.

I was still an entrepreneur at heart, but one more dependent on God.

The experience also brought me closer to my wife and three kids. I realized what a gift they are to me.

25 years later

It’s now been nearly 25 years since I went through cancer.

Over the years, I have continued to serve in a variety of ministry and entrepreneurial ventures, including starting one of the first prayer letter services, a ministry communication support system that handles many of the logistical and design tasks for people who regularly send updates, prayer requests, thank‐yous, fundraising appeals, etc. to their supporters or prayer partners.

As a leader, I like to help clear obstacles for other people so they can succeed. Maybe I could have been a multi-millionaire, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

A few years ago,

I faced a health setback: a liver transplant. But it hasn’t slowed me down much.

I continue working for Cru and living life with an entrepreneurial passion. I want to be one of those guys who die with their boots on—not in a wrinkle ranch.

Advice for others

For others going through cancer, rely on your family and friends to help you through it. My wife is only 5’3, but I married up. You don’t want to get her angry. I’ve seen her take on the whole nursing staff to advocate for my care.

My kids have also been so supportive. We all need people to help us when the chips are down.

For those who don’t have a relationship with God, I encourage you to get one. Ask God to give you the gift of faith. He gives people hope in hopeless situations—like my story shows.

No matter what happens in your future, if have a relationship with God, you can also live a win-win and a hope-hope situation. Reach out today and find the hope that is waiting for you.