My life has forever been transformed by God’s grace and the ministries of St. Paul’ Episcopal Church in so many beautiful ways. It all began for me August 2012 – just a few short days after I arrived in Delray Beach on a one-way plane ticket from Pennsylvania to face my alcohol dependency. I had lost all faith and hope and my spiritual compass was non-existent. My family had written me off, I was unemployable, and no matter what I simply could not stop drinking. I’m not sure if it was my faith-based upbringing in the Episcopal Church or simply a part of God’s miraculous plan, but within a few days of being in treatment I began researching Episcopal churches in the area. I had not attended church or prayed in years but I knew I needed a change – a complete physical/spiritual/emotional overhaul. I needed God back in my life.
Having grown up in a strong faith-oriented family, I always believed in God and witnessed his marvelous work through the people in my life. As a family we attended church every Sunday and were very active in our parish (St. John’s – York, PA); said our prayers before dinner and bed, and my parents always had us involved with “giving back” and contributing to the greater good of the community – whether through church, school, or a non-profit organization. My faith was strong and unwavering…or so I thought.
The summer prior to my senior year in high school my best friend was electrocuted and killed in the most bizarre and unusual freak accident imaginable. I had lost elderly family members over the years but had never experienced a loss of someone so close to me and at such a young age. It was around this time that I began to question God’s plan and what His role was going to be in my life.
After I went off to college my church attendance diminished and I continued to lose that spiritual connection that I had once found so comforting, and relied on as a source of strength. During my sophomore year at Franklin & Marshall College, my father (who I considered my best friend, hero, mentor) was diagnosed with ALS – Lou Gehrig’s disease. Over the next five years I watched my father, who was extraordinarily active and an incredibly gifted orthodontist, lose complete mobility and functionality as his body slowly deteriorated. My father passed away in 2006 and my life would never be the same. I questioned God’s reasoning for taking such a remarkable person, and at this time started to lose faith and distance myself from God. I had too many unanswered questions and couldn’t see through the darkness and depression that had crept into my life.
My drinking escalated quickly and I began having consequences in my life as a direct result of my drinking. After multiple, unsuccessful attempts to get sober on my own, my family was done dealing with the person I had become and sent me to a treatment facility in Boca Raton, Florida. As I became determined to find an Episcopal Church in the area, I came across St. Paul’s and had the treatment facility drop me off for a Sunday morning service in early August 2012. From the moment I first walked through the front doors of St. Paul’s, I knew I was home. The people, the music, the service…I was overwhelmed with emotions and for the first time in years I knew that everything was going to be alright.
From that first Sunday morning when I stepped foot in this parish I felt alive, reborn, blissful – I felt like one of God’s children…a feeling I hadn’t felt in a decade. I began attending Sunday services regularly and can remember how embarrassed I was at being dropped off in front of the church in a treatment van, wearing the same khakis and polo I had worn to the prior Sunday service. But I was determined to regain the faith, hope, and relationship with God that my father demonstrated throughout his life. Through God’s mercy, grace, and love, my life began to blossom into something so beautiful that words simply cannot describe. Regularly attending services at St. Paul’s, consistent prayer, and a relationship with God has made this possible.
After living apart from my family for almost a year, my wife Camilla and our then three-year-old son, Lukas, moved to Florida in May 2013. Since then, we have continued to attend St. Paul’s on a regular basis and have made lasting friendships and relationships that are such a gift. The people of St. Paul’s are true, genuine, kind souls. Our son Lukas attends church school and I had the privilege and honor of recently serving on the Vestry. My wife Camilla and the newest addition to the Linebaugh Family – our daughter Lillian (19 months) – attend Sunday services when they’re able to and we look forward to continuing our spiritual journey at St. Paul’s. God is good.
