I Never Walked Alone

“I Never Walked Alone”

At its core, this is an autobiography. The method of composition and the discoveries throughout the work distinguish it from an ordinary biographical effort.
I managed to put myself into a state of ‘retrogression’, in effect, transporting myself back in time, while I was writing. More than that, I split myself into two persons while I was working.
One of me relived each episode and time period, experiencing many of the same thoughts and feelings for a second time. The other self observed everything from an outside vantage point. These were two different views of my life. Both saw things I had missed or overlooked, while I was living through them. Life happens at such a fast pace, we often miss very important and interesting things. Just as a second reading of a book reveals many things missed the first time through, so it is with life and its reexamination.
Christians say God is omnipresent, but few understand the true meaning of that word. I pointed out along the way, how many times God has told us He is always with us. I highlighted His presence with me so much for a reason.
Few of us realize how detailed is His plan for our lives, or how much He does to help us stay on plan. Over and over I pressed the three legs of success and life: faith, hope and love.
My life is unique to me, but it is also like every other life. It is full of challenges, successes, pain and thrills. But God’s plan and His help along with my own faith, hope and love have carried me through the most trying times.
One highlight of the book is its relative honesty. Any persons of true faith know the impossibility of living without sin in this world. Like all others, I am a sinner, and I did not hide that. My judgments have been as good and as bad as anybody else’s.
That brings me to another amazing discovery. Everyone believes if life could be repeated, we would make better judgments and avoid the errors of our life. That is not true. While reliving my life, I discovered I could not use the benefit of the experience of seventy years of life to make a decision at age twenty. In almost every case, based on my knowledge, experience and attitudes of the specific time, I would make the same choices.
The most wonderful discovery of this entire adventure was that I found myself. I got to know and admire the ‘me’ of the various time periods of my life. I found a great little boy, a troubled but likable teenager and a loving, caring man. The person who was becoming me was quite an interesting fellow.
I found, too, many of the reasons I am who I am and what I am today. Some was troubling; some was gratifying. Perhaps the greatest prize has been the peace within myself in knowing that God has been with me and helping me every day of my life.
The book will appeal to the general Christian audience. Those who draw inspiration from stories of faith and God’s love will find substantive encouragement in my story. It will bolster their faith and bring them greater understanding of God’s everyday presence in their lives.
God is not just somewhere “up there” or “out there”. To be sure, He is not somewhere else, needing to be summoned. He is not busy helping someone else; nobody needs to wait for your turn. He is always with each of us; always available; always listening; always aware of every concern.
Every prayer is answered. It might not be immediate, and it might not be what we expect. But there will be an answer; it will be the right answer, and it will be at the right time.
The reader will find his or her own faith, while reading of the strengths and weaknesses of mine. It is the trials of life that strengthen our faith. Every reader will at some time think, “I have gone through an experience just like that” while reading this book.
Readers will discover their true selves with a much deeper understanding of who they are. They will have a greater appreciation for the creation God has made in them.