Darrell's Testimony (Part Two)

Update 2003

In 1998 I was riding the proverbial crest of the wave in my musical ministry. I was entering my tenth year of full time Christian service, had just released my fourth CD project NEW WORLD COMING, and was finally seeing some high profile, high visibility opportunities come to fruition.

A little over a year later, it was all gone, as my voice succumbed to recurring and worsening throat problems that eventually left me unable to sing. The loss of my talent, and subsequently my ministry, was bad enough, but I was completely unprepared for the spiritual and emotional struggles that would follow. The depression that I fell into was both deep and tenacious. I found myself questioning everything that I had been brought up to believe, and wondering where God's promises were to be found. In short, my life was a scary place to be.

It's been said that God may be slow but He's always on time, and I can testify that it is completely true. God in His infinite mercy and grace answered my prayers in abundance, leading me on a journey of renewal and discovery, deepening my faith and reawakening the joy that is to be found in my first love. He revealed to me that if He was not Lord OF All, then He would not be Lord AT All. My sufficiency is to be found in Him, not career, family, or the accumulation of wealth.

I am so glad to serve a God who loves us too much to allow us to remain spiritually immature, and I am equally glad that He found me worthy of His attention for three years to work through those areas in my heart. As an added bonus, He has restored that which was lost, and I am once again able to share through music what an awesome God we serve!

There is nothing more exciting than being able to watch the hand of God at work in your life, and there is nothing more rewarding than hearing His voice and doing what He says. I still have days when I doubt my ability to minister effectively, and I still have days when depression threatens to leave me bound and incapacitated. But I praise Him that when we are weak He is made strong, and that whatever I accomplish is indeed all about Him, and only possible because of His great love. He is my reason for living, and He is the reason I sing. And as long as I have breath, I will continue to tell the world what an awesome God He is!

For This Cause,

Darrell Ritchie
Phil 4:8