Byron's Story

Hi, I’m Byron.

For much of my life, I lived out of performance. From the gold stars of grade school to the promotions of adult life—even in ministry—I felt driven by the need for approval. For decades I poured myself into leadership, believing that hard work and intensity could convince God and people alike that I was worthy.

But the harder I pushed, the drier I became inside. Fifteen years into ministry, I found myself restless and weary. I remember confessing to my wife, “I just can’t imagine spending the rest of my life doing one discipleship study after another. There’s got to be more.”

That honesty opened the door to something deeper. One Sunday morning, while preparing for a communion meal, I cried out to God in desperation: “How can I not be anxious? How can I just be myself, and let You work through me?”

His response was immediate and tender: “You are My workmanship. Every detail of your being reflects My splendor. Let your light shine. Delight in the work of My hands.”

In that moment, the burden lifted. I discovered the freedom of living from God’s presence rather than for human performance. It changed how I pray, how I read Scripture, how I live.

Today, my joy is walking with others on that same path—helping people trade striving for abiding, fear for freedom, and scarcity for fullness.