A conversation between Ron Glenk, guest; and Devaughn Williamson, host.

To pick up where we left off, life seems to be going good for Ron. He is now sober and landed a new job in 2019. Just as life was beginning to resemble some form of normalcy, here comes a curveball.

When Ron’s second-oldest daughter, Taylor, walked past him one night, He could see something was wrong, but didn’t say a word. That silent glance would end up being the last time he saw her alive. She passed away unexpectedly three days later, on Father’s Day, 2019. That moment shattered him and his wife, Don. And because their faith wasn't rooted deeply at the time, they turned to what they each knew for comfort—he dove into fitness and performance-enhancing drugs; she turned to alcohol. They drifted, each drowning in their own pain.

Ron tried everything to fill the void: exercise, books, self-help, productivity. Nothing worked. The pain stayed. The anger built. And finally, he snapped — yelling at the ceiling, yelling at God, just unloading every ounce of frustration. And when he was completely drained, there sat the Bible, dusty and untouched. Out of spite more than surrender, he said, “Fine. I’ll do it your way.”

And that’s when things started to change — not all at once, but step by step.

His first prayer? 42 seconds long. His first Bible reading? A few verses of Matthew that made no sense. But as someone reminded him later, that was progress. More than the day before. It wasn’t about perfection — it was about showing up.

Eventually, he started reading books about the Bible because the Bible itself still felt too overwhelming. One day, by "chance," he opened a book to the middle of Job — and for the first time, something clicked. He felt God working, gently chipping away at the wall he’d built around his heart. It wasn’t fast, but it was real.

Later, during COVID, with the world shut down and distractions quieted, Ron took on a challenge: no TV, no radio, no other books — just the seven Church Epistles for 90 days. That commitment, that deep dive into God’s word, was life-changing.

Ron didn’t get to that point overnight. It was messy. It was imperfect. But it was filled with grace. He began journaling every step of his journey — the tiny prayers, the setbacks, the victories. And through it all, God met him where he was. Not when he had it all together, but when he had almost nothing left to give.

But growth didn’t come easy. Ron admits that in his excitement about his new faith, he made some big mistakes.

He tried to force his family into spiritual practices they weren’t ready for, leading with control instead of love. That pushed them away. And as his wife battled alcoholism and his daughters resisted, he realized that love and grace—not force—are what draw people to God.

Over time, Ron’s spiritual maturity grew, thanks in part to a patient mentor and his hunger for worship and fellowship. He went from pridefully scolding his family with the Bible to humbly recognizing his own flaws. That humility led him to confront a huge personal failure—past infidelity in his marriage. After months of prayer, he confessed everything to his wife, knowing it could break them, but hoping it would lead to healing.

And it did. It wasn’t easy. It was painful and it took time, therapy, and forgiveness. But Ron’s honesty, paired with his wife’s decision to love him anyway, brought real transformation. Her sobriety has held since then. Their marriage, once fractured, became a powerful picture of grace, growth, and God’s redeeming love.

The breakthrough didn’t come instantly, but step by step, as he started to walk in humility and lean on God, everything began to shift. Fast forward, and now his whole family is walking in faith together. His marriage is stronger, rooted in openness, trust, and God’s Word. He’s not just surviving—he’s thriving. And it all started with doing the hard, heart-wrenching work of being vulnerable.

Ron says the biggest lesson he’d give his younger self is simple but deep: “Stop talking. Start listening.” Because when you truly listen, you connect. And through connection, you serve—and that’s where the real transformation begins.

His story is a reminder that the best things God has for us are often right on the other side of fear. And when we finally surrender, He floods our lives with love, joy, and purpose that we can't help but share with others.

Dead for 4 Minutes. Alive by Grace - Part #2

Dead for 4 Minutes. Alive by Grace - Part #1