Here is an Interview I did with TWJ magazine about The Wall - You will find it enlightening and inspiring. I enjoyed doing it!! Please read and share - Interview: Rick Hawkins According to a blog entry penned by a minister’s wife, there are five common misconceptions regarding ministers, with number three being this: Since the pastor does a lot of counseling for others, he must not have problems of his own. Author Rick Hawkins can tell you a lot about this misconception, over 200 pages worth, in his new book titled The Wall. “There are some things in life about which you can truly say, ‘I never saw it coming.’ Perhaps you should have seen it coming—you were just a little distracted or in a little denial. Maybe you had some small inkling of a little something wrong, but you never dreamed the something wrong was so big, so powerful, or so all-encompassing.” The Wall is a personal account written by Hawkins, in which he shares his experience in facing a crisis so big and powerful, metaphorically speaking, it became his wall. “People you had thought were loyal to the death, walked away. The old ways of doing things no longer were the current ways of doing things and you had no clue about the new codes or secret passwords. Somehow you never got the memo that told you the world was about to change in such a dramatic way that you no longer knew how to function in it or recognize your part of it.” Hawkins writes from his experience to help others that may be facing their own wall. “I am here to tell you that no matter how hard the hit, you can recover! You can regain your balance! You can renew your vision! You can rebuild your life! I know. I have been there.” His message is one of hope for ministers or laymen, experienced or just starting out. This is Rick Hawkins’ story. MN- You are not a new author by any means, but writing The Wall must have been a different-if not difficult-book to write just because it was so personal. Did you find that it was a challenging experience? RH- I have written four other books including; David’s Mighty Men, The Power Of Agreement, The Benjamin Blessing and The Inner Circle. The experience of writing is a joy in itself. However, this particular book, The Wall, had some challenges because of its intimate nature. I wanted it to be real and authentic. Therefore, I edited this book five times to be sure it maintained that genuineness and not just another “Christian” book filled with information but lacking the revelation of actual events. MN- In your book, you make the observation that “more often than not, men hit the Wall and most of them are in their forties when it occurs.” In your opinion, does this contribute to, or is it attributed by, a mid-life crisis? RH- It is inevitable that the mid-life crisis happens in the forty to forty-five year age range. There are diverse reasons why this occurs. However, The Wall is not limited to gender or age. It is that time when you arrive at a place that you feel you have hit the Mother of all crises and feelings of hopelessness permeate your every thought. MN- So let’s talk about your wall. You hit it hard and fast on a Sunday morning and you never saw it coming. Take us back to the moment of impact and share some of the emotions that hitting your wall evoked for you. RH- The realization or manifestation of it showed up as a voice in my mind asking, “What does a man do when he arrives at a place he only imagines himself to be?” That Sunday morning is paramount in my memory. I had arrived at a place that I dreamed of being years before. At the same time there were secrets I had carried that certainly packed the potential to destroy that dream. The feelings of achievement and dread were at war within me. MN- I love your chapter on “manufacturing errors”; those experiences and pre-wired characteristics that we are not responsible for, but certainly contribute to who we are. How can a person move beyond, say an abusive childhood, and thrive without the affects of that abuse crippling them? RH- We must own up to the notion that we are the complete summation of all experiences that make up our life - including personality and character. This acknowledgement is the beginning of wholeness. The person with an abusive childhood has to come to terms with that reality, yet know that it does not define them in their destiny. Just because they were abused does not mean they have to be abusive. We must see ourselves as healing agents to those who have suffered the same trauma. MN- You mention Romans 8:28 and punctuate it by saying, “Every event in our life should be received as either God-sent or God-used. If God did not send it, He will still use it.” Looking back on your experience, how has God used it? RH- In so many ways! But I would say there are two aspects that stand out above the rest. He used it first of all to change my perspective of Him. I now see God in a broader spectrum in relation to His compassion toward the human condition. He also has used it to help me understand people at a deeper level. My paradigm of spirituality and humanity being combined and not segregated has helped me appreciate our dual nature and not to fight it. Therefore, I now possess the ability to speak to people who have been through similar things that I went through, whereas I could not speak their language before this experience. MN- Your theology was changed through this experience. That says a lot since you were the pastor of a mega-church prior to your wall experience. How do you view spirituality differently now? RH- People mistake religion for spirituality. Spirituality to me is representing the love of God in my time to the best of my ability. It’s not about trying to present a so-called “holiness” that is unattainable. Many have the form of godliness but lack the power thereof. Religion says, “You have sinned and are now disqualified for your ministry.” I say that God has always used misfits that are full of fault and frailty to accomplish His purpose. MN- How are you doing now? RH- I am doing very well. My joy for living is found in fulfilling my purpose and spending time with my five grandchildren. Some days I wish I were married and other days I am grateful that all my affection is reserved for my Children and grandchildren. I have arrived at a place of wholeness and integrity therefore I am good. MN- You end each chapter with a “Take Away This Truth” sentence that sums up what you just discussed. What one sentence would you say to readers that would be the “Take Away This Truth” for your book? RH- Always remember, you cannot die until your purpose is complete. The end of a chapter is not the conclusion of the book. If you have fallen prey to the voices of disqualification, know this -You can regain your strength, you can renew your vision, you can be restored to your call!!! Author Bio- Rick Hawkins is the founder and Chief Supervisor of the Place For Life Church of San Antonio, TX and The Rick Hawkins Foundation. He is also the founder of The School of Excellence in Education, a public charter school with multiple campuses located in the Greater San Antonio area, to which he continues to serve as adviser. He travels the nation and abroad speaking and serving in multiple congregational and corporate settings. His influence and spiritual guidance provide service and input to numerous individuals, including pastors, entertainment personalities, and corporate executives. He currently resides in Boerne, TX, where he spends his leisure time as a loving grandfather to five grandchildren. You can learn more about Rick Hawkins and his new release, The Wall, by visiting his website.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 12:43:02 +0000
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