When God Shows Up
Henry Wildeboer
[978-1-4600-0177-6]

Dr. Wildeboer,
I just finished your book “When God Shows Up.” Great story. I had a hard time putting it down.
When I got it as part of a mass-mailing, I'll admit setting it on my desk and forgetting about it—assuming it was just another example of someone else thinking I needed something I didn't have (without even knowing me).
But I found the book delightful to read, helpful, gracious and honest. It's also full of good advice, sometimes by actual words, more often by example. I found I often wished for more details—not about the bad/difficult parts (I'm content not to know more about sin)—but about the wonderful, miraculous, and surprisingly good. While conflict often makes for better story-telling, testimonies of God's unexpected blessings make for a better gospel presentation. Yes, those often happened through conflict, but sometimes during them, or after they were resolved.
I longed to hear more of those stories too. If you ever contribute a supplement to this book with more of those testimonies, I'd pick it up in a second.
Thanks Dr. Wildeboer for writing this story, and to whomever it was that sent these out. The book was an encouragement to me personally, and helped me clarify some issues on the personal, pastoral, and denominational fronts. God bless!
I should add another thank-you to you for pioneering in the areas of spirit-empowered ministry and innovative worship. The denomination owes a debt to such pioneers, who paid a cost most of us will never have to pay—at least not in the same way. We owe you, and others like you, a great deal. Thank you so much.
I posted the above on the CRC Pastors Facebook page as a review and encouragement for them to read, and edited it here for you at the suggestion of one of the members of that group. I'm a CRC pastor in a small town in western Washington (Alger), introduced to spirit-empowered ministry just 10 years ago. At that time I felt quite alone, but have since learned that I was in no way a pioneer in this area. I understand my indebtedness to those who, like you, paved the way for those who have come after.
My parents were also immigrants, as teenagers (a little older than you) and the stories of the early years gave me a deeper appreciation for them and my (now deceased) grandparents.
I hope this brief note is a source of encouragement to you as your book was such an encouragement to me.
In a few days my son will graduate from Calvin Sem. As I'm sitting here near Grand Rapids, looking forward to that day I'm torn about loaning him your book, or keeping it for myself! Not really. I've finished reading it. I'll loan it to him, but insist that he both read it and return it to me when he's done. I hope that I will have such a legacy to pass on to my son, and perhaps other leaders, as the legacy you have so generously shared with the world—or at least the CRC part of it.
Thank you again so much! May God richly bless and reward you and Jan.
—Rich DeRuiter