Nine years ago tomorrow my father-in-law, Bob Schmidgall, passed away without any warning. Total shock. I remember getting pulled out of a D.Min class I was taking at Regent University and Lora saying, “My dad died.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

We immediately drove from Virginia Beach back home to DC. We got on a plane the same day. And we flew back to Naperville. Those days surrounding the wake and the funeral are still a blur yet I remember so many isolated moments and little details from those days.

My father-in-law was only fifty-five and in the prime of ministry. He planted and pastored Calvary Church in Naperville, IL for 30+ years!

I believe that God numbers our days but I still don’t understand the timing. Lots of unanswered questions in my Deuteronomy 29:29 file. But I am so grateful for his life and legacy. I honestly don’t think I’d be doing what I’m doing without his influence in my life.

I’ll never forget the motorcade of cars from the church to the cemetery. It stretched about five miles long. He left alot of people in his spiritual wake! I think that motorcade of cars is a picture of what can happen when you plant yourself in one place and pour your life into it. He gave thirty years of blood, sweat, and tears to Calvary Church in Naperville.

The example my father-in-law set is really the inspiration behind me wanting to pastor one church for life. I feel like Washington, DC is my parish. And Lord willing, I hope I have the privilege of pastoring National Community Church the rest of my ministry.

Hope I make half the difference my father-in-law made!