The naked truth
I am writing this letter to all of you, to let you know what’s going on in my family’s life and my vision for the future. We relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, two years ago, largely due to marital issues that existed between Candice and me. Unfortunately, nothing was resolved or changed, and against my deepest desires and hopes, we divorced. This has been the hardest time in my life. I have been stretched beyond what I thought I could bear. And, I have put off writing this difficult letter for several reasons: 1) I felt a deep sense of shame and embarrassment…I felt like a failure, 2) I know how divorce is viewed in the Christian world, and my belief is that marriage is a covenant, meant for life, and 3) I feared that I had let you down; that I had nullified your support throughout the years. I never thought I would ever be a divorced man. I never thought that I would have to write these words to anyone. So, I write this letter with great humility and vulnerability, letting you know the truth of my life as it is and my hopes and dreams that I pray for. This process has opened up my life to God in ways I did not know were possible. I have been striving for Paul’s statement, “I have learned to be content in all circumstances”, to be the reality of my life. I have so much to be thankful for, even in this unexpected place of pain I have faced. I have had the privilege to do a plethora of jobs in this transition, ranging from After School Director with the YMCA, motivational speaker with Making it Count, a Starbucks barista and a substitute teacher in the local public school system. This has been a dynamic and transformative time for me.
“God where you in all this pain, God where are you, I am hurting. Then, in a still small voice I hear…. I AM HERE, IN THE PAIN. This is a portion of a song I wrote last year.
I had this perception in my life; all I wanted was to get to the other side of the pain. But, I have realized that life is about soaking up what is in front of you…not trying to look past what is, in order to get beyond it. Embracing what is in front of you, is the lesson that I have been learning in the depths of who I am. God is a redeeming God. He is redeeming my story and family. In this season, I have enrolled in a masters program at Prescott College, studying Adventure Education. I will graduate in the spring of 2010. True Life Adventures is on hold while I am pursuing my masters. However, I am praying for practical direction in morphing its mission stateside. My thesis is centered on creating eye opening and transformative experiences for students (specifically in middle and high-school). In this transition I have connected with a great church called Sojourn Community Church. This church understands and sees value in the mission behind True Life Adventures. They are eager to have this be incorporated into their church body as they set out to reach young people in their local urban communities, in real and transformative ways. I have just been offered a year long internship starting in July with Sojourn Community Church to assist them in their efforts.
Please pray for me and my family and as I focus on this step of my journey. Zayne is 6 and Ezekiel is 4 years old now. Please keep them specifically in your prayers as they too learn to traverse this shaky ground. Do not hesitate to contact me at anytime; I would love to hear from you.
“I welcome the chance to take my share in the church’s part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God’s way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth” Colossians 1:25(The Message)
A word from Hud McWilliams, Sr. Resource Pastor Christian Associates International “On behalf of Christian Associates, I would like to thank you for your support of the Isom family during this time of difficulty and transition in their lives. While none of us would have hoped for this outcome, we know that God has continued to be at work in many ways, and we're grateful for your partnership in that process. We are in support of the direction that Jeremy is taking, as outlined in this letter, and we hope that you, too, will continue to walk alongside him and his family as they go forward from here. If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me."
Jeremy Isom 615 483-1818 isomjeremy@gmail.com
