Out of the Storm: God Leads Saddleback Member From Desperation to Hope

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Southern California, Saddleback member Rick Langemeier had been unemployed for 10 months. He had worked as an educator for many years and was hopeful about a prospective teaching position that was offered to him in March 2020. As schools shut down at the start of the pandemic, however, the offer was revoked and Rick found himself feeling lost and aimless once again.

“Not only now was I without a job, but now I had no outside life because COVID shut it down,” Rick said. “I was going through this storm completely alone. I just looked forward to going to bed and thought maybe I wouldn’t wake up the next morning and that would be better than having to wake up to another long, dark day.”

As isolation and desperation increasingly crept into his life, Rick asked God for a renewed purpose. It was around that time that he heard a sermon about serving others during the pandemic. He was a bit reluctant at first, but ultimately decided he would volunteer one time at a Saddleback grocery distribution event as a traffic coordinator.

To his surprise, Rick not only loved the experience of serving, he also felt loved by the other volunteers and especially two staff members who invited him to serve again the next day. He agreed and ended up loving the experience even more, so he kept showing up to volunteer three to five days a week.

“It really wasn’t my ability that God was looking for. It was my availability."

“[At that point] I’m thinking, ‘OK, I’m becoming an important piece of this food distribution,’” he said.

A fire had been lit in Rick’s heart as he began to realize that volunteering was the purpose he had prayed for at the start of the pandemic. So, Rick told God that he would stop searching for a job and commit his days to serving with Saddleback as long as he was provided for financially. That prayer has been continually answered, and Rick has been able to continue serving while staying financially stable.

“It really wasn’t my ability that God was looking for. It was my availability,” he said. “And this family, this food distribution has allowed me to accept Rick for being Rick. God gave me talents, he gave me gifts, and I’ve watched him take me by the right hand and literally lead me.”

Not only has the experience of serving and finding community at Saddleback helped Rick feel like he was not alone, he said it also helped solidify his trust in God’s plan for his life because he has no doubts anymore that God wants good things for him.

“I’m like, ‘Wow, God does exist,’” he said. “He will come and get you out of your storm.”