The Luckiest man: How a Seventeen-Year Battle with ALS Led Me to Intimacy with God

John R. Paine

Nov 2018 · Sold by Thomas Nelson

About this ebook

How do you experience God's intimate, comforting, tangible presence? In The Luckiest Man, John Paine reveals how he found the answer to this most important of all questions--by facing a terminal diagnosis.

At middle age, John Paine thought he knew what it meant to have a relationship with God. He was a successful businessman, a well-respected Christian leader, a Bible teacher, and--outwardly, at least--the spiritual leader of his family. He was satisfied and thought he understood what it meant to know and experience God. But did he?

John's journey into true, mystical intimacy with God began when a neurologist diagnosed him with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, and said, "Go home and get your affairs in order." Seventeen years later, John tells his story, recounting the ways God intervened in his life, freeing him from all that prevented intimacy with God, even as John slipped into pain, paralysis, and further toward death.

In stunning, insightful prose, The Luckiest Man points to the God who lovingly, though occasionally painfully, drew John into the richness of friendship. In this profoundly moving memoir, John Paine reveals the secret to intimacy with God and provides hope to all who are in the middle of their own trials. They, too, will understand why John considers himself the "luckiest man."

Ratings and reviews

Such an inspiring story-must read for everyone. This man is diagnosed with a horrible disease(ALS- which you will learn more about in the book) & through his struggles, he learns that intimacy with God is the most important thing worth living for. "Don't wait until you are dying to start truly living." I couldn't put this book down.

About the author

John Paine is a successful businessman and lay leader living in Plano, Texas. He has lived over seventeen years with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. A once active man, John now spends his days in a wheelchair, dependent on a ventilator for his next breath. His greatest passion is mentoring others and sharing the true treasure of his life with them - intimacy with Christ. In the twilight of his life, John most enjoys spending time with his wife Margaret, the families of his four adult children and seven grandchildren.

Seth Haines has experienced the grace that comes from a God who lives in mystery, who works through both joy and pain. Seth’s first book Coming Clean: A Story of Faith received a Christianity Today Award of Merit in the publication’s 2016 book awards. Seth’s poetry and prose has been featured in various publications, including In Touch Magazine, Fathom Magazine, Tweetspeak Poetry, and at SethHaines.com. He makes his home in the Ozarks with his wife, Amber Haines, and their four sons.