SONSHIP STORIES:

ROB CASEY

SHERMAN, TEXAS

“Growing up, because of my situation—divorced parents, back-and-forth scenario—I was attention-seeking, self-centered, deeply insecure, very confused, and trying to fix it. I was profoundly confused as to who I was supposed to be. I had to figure out who I needed to be and what mask to wear in each house and environment to be accepted.”

“A big part of my story is that Jesus saved me when I was 29-year-old pastor. I had a very transactional relationship with God. I constantly felt God was just mad at me, that I wasn’t going to find a way to be good enough, smart enough. But I began to recognize that the more I knew about the Bible, the more people in my circles were okay with me, proud of me. Jesus used a low point in my marriage and a hard conversation with my wife to save me and turn me to Him.”

“I'd pretty much given up on church-based ‘men’s stuff’, for many reasons. But a dear friend on our team, Dr. Tomi Grover, could see I was exhausted and isolated in leadership, constant work and travel, the weight of so many burdens of those we serve around the world. So she connected me with Canyon Pathways, and after a great hour-long conversation with Noel, all the details fell into place and it was clear this retreat was where I needed to be.”

“Yet once there, I felt like I didn’t belong. These guys are out of my league. I belong on the bench. I said, ‘God, what am I doing here?’ And I sensed the Lord saying, ‘Didn’t I send you here? You can trust me to go into 30, 40 countries and put your life at risk, but you can't trust me for something I have for you here in the States with brothers in Christ?’ So I chose to simply rest and receive. I'm just going to trust the Father because that's who He is.”

“When I received the word ‘Aid’ at the retreat, I could immediately just look in the rear view mirror of my life and see moment after moment after moment where the Father was saying, ‘Have I not done that? And for the things ahead of you still, will I not do it even more? Is anything too difficult for Me? See yourself as My son. Just receive sonship.’”