My name is Bruce Arnold
 
           and this is my story...

I find myself in the critical chapters of the story – wondering how it will all wrap up. I was the 3rd of 4 boys in a middle class family where dad worked and mom stayed at home. My father traveled a lot and we moved often – as that was the corporate world in the 70's. I never thought much about God until it was Sunday and my parents were forcing me to church. God was more a fictional character than a real life person. Far too early, alcohol crept into my life and once there, became a priority.

In college, I enjoyed a freedom and independence that previously I could only dream of. Those years, and those that followed, were dominated by selfishness and decisions that have haunted me – and others – the past 25 years. I often wondered how God could ever want me to be a part of His plans – the distance between He and I was so great. Depression set in and I deadened the pain with alcohol and quick fixes to find temporary peace or relief.

For almost a decade, life was about satisfying personal desires and climbing the corporate ladder, but success was easily matched by emptiness. Circumstances – including my younger brother's near-death accident – drove me to reconsider my relationship with God and I promised to embark on a search to determine what exactly that was. I prayed for real…from the heart, for the first time.

In 1998, a young woman I was dating invited me to Orchard Hill. I was reluctant and skeptical, but I remembered my promise from the year before. That Wednesday night, something clicked – I was intrigued by this place and what a relationship with God could look like. It seemed like the people singing and worshipping knew something I didn't. I began to look forward to my time "on the hill". On Easter Sunday 1999, I made a decision that Christ is exactly who He said He was and I entered into a relationship with Him. Both unfortunately AND fortunately, what I thought was an arrival point was instead a departure on a journey that brings me to this weekend. God did begin a work in me that day, though I still had much to learn about my priorities.

Six months later, I married that girl who introduced me to Orchard Hill. I owned a small business, we built a house and started a family…and I continued to drink. Over the next 2 years, I lost my business and marriage and acquired a custody battle. I found myself wondering, "How in the world did I get here?" I looked in the mirror and didn't like what I saw. I knew I was in God's family, but could not understand why this was happening to me. I joined a men's group here and became slowly aware of tools – biblical tools – to address my challenges in life. I finally began to recognize my priorities for what they were. Eventually, I realized there was one area in my life I had yet to turn over to God – my drinking. Last November, I wrestled with God in a "dark night of the soul" and finally, completely surrendered. I'm so grateful for my approaching 1-year anniversary of that decision and the year of clean living God has given me.

Over the past year, I have focused greatly on my relationships: with God,  in my groups,  serving here at Orchard Hill – and especially with my 5 year-old son, Dawson. He means everything to me. We've found a home together here on this hill. God has reordered my priorities and I've begun to look into the mirror again. "One day at a time" is not a metaphor, but a reality for me and I have a peace that comes from knowing that God is with me no matter where I am or what season I am in. This weekend, I can stand here and say I have a growing relationship with Christ, with my son – Dawson, and today is a good day. By keeping these priorities  I think tomorrow will be too. My name is Bruce Arnold…and this is my story.