Josh D. McDowell - Undaunted: one mans real-life journey from unspeakable memories to unbelievable grace

one mans real-life journey

from unspeakable memories

to unbelievable grace...

Visit Tyndale online at www.tyndale.com.

Visit Tyndale Momentum online at www.tyndalemomentum.com.

TYNDALE is a registered trademark of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Tyndale Momentum and the Tyndale Momentum logo are trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Tyndale Momentum is an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Undaunted: One Mans Real-Life Journey from Unspeakable Memories to Unbelievable Grace

Copyright 2012 by Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of landscape copyright Susan Fox/Trevillion Images. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of boy herding cows copyright cultura Photography/Veer. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of truck copyright Chris Roberts/iStockphoto. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of sunset copyright tirc83/iStockphoto. All rights reserved.

Back cover images copyright 2011 by Josh McDowell Ministry. All rights reserved.

Designed by Daniel Farrell

Edited by Bonne Steffen

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NKJV is a trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Undaunted is a true story. Many of the names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals or their families. Although the events actually happened, some characters are composites of various people in the authors life.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McDowell, Josh.

Undaunted : one mans real-life journey from unspeakable memories to unbelievable grace / Josh McDowell with Cristbal Krusen.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. ).

ISBN 978-1-4143-7122-1 (sc)

1. McDowell, Josh. 2. EvangelistsUnited StatesBiography. 3. Christian convertsUnited StatesBiography. I. Krusen, Cristbal. II. Title.

BV3785.M375A3 2012

269.2092dc23

[B] 2012017041

Build: 2012-07-26 15:20:59

I affectionately dedicate this book to my four beloved childrenKelly, Sean, Katie, and Heatherand to their lifelong mates: Michael, Stephanie, Jerry, and David. I also dedicate these pages of memories to my precious grandchildren: Scottie, Shauna, Quinn, Beckett, and Brenna, as well as to all those who will come after them (we eagerly await your arrival!).

I pray that my life story will inspire each one of you to trust our Lord, no matter what circumstances you face. May you always remember and defend Romans 1:16.

Preface

Many people are familiar with aspects of my early life. Over the years, I have shared some of the details in various formats, mostly in my presentations. But it hasnt been until now that I have pulled back the curtain to give a fuller picture.

For many years, I have been approached by groups and individuals to make a movie about my early life and testimony. I never felt comfortable doing that until I met award-winning filmmaker Cristbal Krusen five years ago. I entrusted to him the challenge of bringing my story to life.

Thats what this book is at heart. Its a storymy story, painted in broad strokes to trace the highs and lows of my early life experience. The events are true, though some of the people youll meet are composites of several people in my life; most of the conversations within the scenes are recollected to the best of my knowledge. Its called Undaunted because it sums up in one word who I was, whether I knew it at the time or not. I faced severe challenges growing up, and my instinctive reaction was to give as good as I got. I ascribed to Nietzsches philosophy What does not kill me makes me stronger, without any inkling of who he was.

Adversity did make me strong and determined. But it was a superficial strength, a defense mechanism, an artificial mask that hid dark things. What I longed forwhat we all long forwas a loving relationship with someone who accepted me for who I was, no matter what.

By the time I was eleven years old, I considered myself the loneliest, most God-forsaken person on the planet. For reasons you will read about, I abandoned the notion that a family provides stability, that a father provides protection, that others can be trusted. I turned my back on God as well; the only names I called Him were flung at Him in angry, vile curses. I was not about to admit my shortcomings or weaknesses. Unfortunately, I did not understand how destructive it is to ones soul to live in denial of the truth.

I fought to make sure my deep fears and insecurities about things that had happened to me would remain secrets. I was the emotional equivalent of the clever illiterate who manages to convince others he knows how to read and write.

There may be aspects of my story that you will recognize in your own life story, while other thingsthankfullyare only mine to tell. And even with the pain I have gone through, I am certain that millions of people have had a rougher, more difficult upbringing than I experienced.

The fact is that no one goes through life unscathed. The biblical book of Job says that people are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire. I had a lot of sparks in my life, including one life-changing spark that brought me hope. I invite you to read and consider howwith the help of One stronger than yourselfyou, too, can face life undaunted.

Josh McDowell

APRIL 2012

1

Alls Right with the World

It was an unusually warm day for so early in spring, and my car windows were rolled down to catch whatever breeze there might be in Wheaton, Illinois, thirty miles west of Chicago. I was a junior at Wheaton College, working my afternoon job of delivering administrative papers to local high schools. More than a part-time job, it provided me a small break from the unrelenting pressures of the academic workload at college.

I had hoped to get across the tracks at the Chase Street crossing before the Chicago commuter train rumbled past, but it seemed my approach was choreographed to coincide precisely with the lowering of the gate and the flashing of the red warning lights. I pulled to a stop and leaned back in my seat to relax. The clanging of the signal played a discordant counterrhythm to the number one hit song the Shirelles were singing on the car radioWill You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

I glanced in my rearview mirror at the serene view of the Wheaton campus extending up the hill behind me, with venerable Blanchard Hall at its apex. The scene brought to mind the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew: A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.