God Restored His Life—And Made It Even Better!

In 2016, Mark had just started a new job when he began feeling weakness and shortness of breath.  

Mark remembers, “The doctor looks at me and goes, ‘Mark, I don't know how you walked in here, and I don't know how you're talking to me right now. You are at 5% heart function. I'm putting you in for a transplant immediately.’”

Over the next ten months, Mark would endure 3 surgeries to stay alive all while going through a divorce. Finally, a heart was found and the transplant surgery was a success. Doctors marveled at Mark’s speedy recovery.

Mark shares, “Most people are in that hospital for two to three weeks in order to recover before they leave. They let me go on day 8. I started right into my physical therapy. My healing was so rapid. Within 11 days, I was walking two miles a day. I was gonna stay very positive with this experience. Because at the end of the day, you know that God’s got a plan for your life.”

Although healed, Mark was now living on a reduced income, relying on disability checks and money from a go-fund-me account his family set up. Even then, he continued to trust God.

Mark says, “I tithed regularly. Even on the little bits that came in. And I was grateful, because I know that God put those people in my life in order to get me through that situation. So again, I had to give thanks and honor back to God through that experience, and so I tithed.”

Three months later, Mark started working as a distributor but after nine months the company he worked with folded.

Mark recalls, “Well, in the midst of that my stepdad finds out that he's got lung cancer. And he starts to pass away. And so, I decided to take three weeks and go home and spend it with him and my mom.”

His stepfather passed, but Mark believed that because he put his parents needs before his own, God would open a door to new employment. Soon, a former employer called with a great job offer.

Mark says, “Mark, you understand this sort of technology, this is new to us, would you come and actually help us launch this project?" And it started me off into a whole other realm of an uptake in my income level. So, another swing upwards. And I'm gonna say this, it has not stopped.”

As a result of the new job, Mark has been able to increase his giving. One ministry he supports is C-B-N.

Mark shares, “When I was going through the heart transplant, my mom and I would sit down at nighttime together and watch The 700 Club. And the stories were so inspirational. The 700 Club was encouraging, and it was a feeding to my soul. I felt compelled to give CBN because of the ability to take those dollars and then expand them to encourage others.”

Mark believes that giving carried him through the most difficult times in his life.

Mark shares, “It's very clear in the Bible the importance of tithing, and how the blessing follows. But you don't know that it's coming at that moment, because, again, it's a test. if you want to do great at a test, well, you do whatever it takes to get the A.”

Mark has since moved on and is now a partner in a multi-million dollar cosmetic technology company. He was able to wipe out all of his debt completely. He continues to make tithing and giving his top priority.

Mark says, “When you show your faith, God suddenly brings it back to you in a huge way. I've more than tripled the income in this year. It just keeps going up and up and up and up and up. And I'm gonna tell you, when you get into that place, it's glorious.”