Gary Miracle is an author and a speaker who passionately believes in the power of storytelling and how it unites us and spurs us on when life is tragically hard, and also reminds us who we are and who God made us to be. In this episode, he shares his story of growing immersed in church culture on Sunday but then suffered from an identity crisis the rest of the week as he chased perfection, and changed personas in order to be affirmed by anyone and everyone. Finally, later in his life and career, now a married man with kids, Gary reached his breaking point and reached out to his friend Bart Millard of the band "Mercy's Me" who began to disciple Gary and guide him to a life-changing and intimate relationship with Jesus.

Not long after, in December 2019, Gary went from celebrating Christmas with his family feeling a little under the weather to being on his literal deathbed on New Year's Eve. The first week of 2020 Gary's life hung in the balance as teams of doctors worked on him and cared for him, and his loved ones stormed heaven for him. On January 10th, 2020, Gary opened his eyes, alive, but his body would never be the same, and his limbs were dying. Gary shares his journey of his 107 days stay in the hospital, reentering into his life without his legs and hands, and how God met him in all of it in our time together, but he goes more in-depth in his book No More Bad Days: Trading the Pursuit of Perfection for the Gift of Grace.

Gary is passionate about choosing to truly live instead of just being alive and doing that authentically with others. We were made in the image of a communal God, and as we face the intensity and heartbreak of our lives, He provides people to walk through hard things with us. However, that call to live in community requires risk and humility, but as Gary reminds us, when life is at its lowest moments, people God gives us can echo hope back to us.

This is a message for anyone who needs to know there is more left for them in this life. This is a message for those who need to remember God is still in the business of miracles. This is a message for someone who is walking through horrible circumstances but needs to be reminded that God still has good for them. You matter, and your story matters.

Connecting with Gary:

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Scripture References:

Romans 10:8-9, John 1:12-13, Galatians 4:4-6-, There's nothing I can do to make Jesus stop loving me

Galatians 2:20- It is no longer I who lives, but Christ in me

1 Samuel 17:36-54- David wrestled with lions as a shepherd before he faced Goliath

Lamentations 3:22-23- His new mercies are new every day

Job 1:21- The Lord gives and the Lord takes away

Job 42:5- All of my life I've heard about You, but now I've seen you with my eyes

John 16:33- In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world

Luke 18:19, 1 John 1:5- God is truly good

Ephesians 3:16-19- I pray that He would strengthen you with power according to

Jeremiah 29:13- seek me and you will find me if you seek me with all of your heart

John 3:16- For God so loved the world that He gave us His son

2 Peter 1:3- God has given you His power, and authority to live this life

John 10:10 - The enemy is coming to steal, kill and destroy, but Christ came to give us life to the full

Matthew 24:36-Nobody knows the day or the hour

Revelation 21:27- The Lamb's book of life

John 14:3, Acts 1:11, Revelation 22- We're going to Heaven

Exodus 3- Moses' story in the Bible, he struggled to speak

Romans 6:17, chapter 7 Grace is not a license to sin

Romans 6:1-7-We are no longer slaves to sin