By Sandii Peiffer
Smashed Hopes, Confusion, Tragedy, Loss. Most of us have experienced at least one of these, and some of us have experienced it all. The recent global COVID-19 pandemic multiplied these experiences. And many of us are left wondering, “Why?”
Ron Reitz, a member of Halifax UMC, has had many reasons to ask, “Why?” during the course of his life. His experiences led him to write a book, “Why vs. What: One Man’s Spiritual Journey Through Tragedy by Embracing God’s Plan.” The book tells how his faith in God helped him ride the storms and overcome his challenges to discover “what” God was and is doing in and through him.
“We will suffer greatly if we constantly seek answers to unanswerable “why” questions,” says Reitz in the book. “This is where our faith and God’s grace come into play, as we try to shift our thinking and focus on “what” God can accomplish through all of this,” he said, referencing Romans 8:28 among other Scriptures.
In 1984, Ron lost his first wife of 15 years, and her mother, in a tragic car accident. They had three young children; 8, 11, and 14 years old. In the bedlam and grief at the news of their mother’s and grandmother’s deaths, they were filled with “why” questions. Unanswerable “why” questions. Then one child asked, “What are we going to do now?”
Faith has been the foundation of Ron’s life since he was 12, and carried into his marriage and family life. Through prayer, Bible study, discernment, and with the help of pastors, friends, and family, he and his children focused on “what” God could accomplish in and through them in the wake of this tragedy. And Ron kept notes throughout their journey.
His youngest son, Adam, expressed himself through controlled physical activity, that included weightlifting and sports. His daughter, Heather, developed organization and helping skills, and his eldest son, Bryan, developed artistic skills he had shared with his mother. These skills carried into their adult lives and chosen careers, demonstrating God’s grace and honoring their mother’s memory.
As for Ron, his “whats” were expressed in many ways, including sharing the Gospel and the assurance of God’s salvation through pulpit supply/cover as a Certified Lay Leader and Certified Lay Minister; sharing his testimony with several thousand people at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes event; marrying again and continuing to grow his blended family adding four more sons.
Then, in 2004, Ron’s 29-year-old son, Adam, committed suicide after exhibiting signs of schizophrenia. In the midst of his grief and even more “whys”, God had more “whats” to accomplish. With encouragement from his father, and referencing the notes he had taken over the years, Ron wrote this book 10 years later, hoping to help others.
“Why vs. What” was published by Sunbury Press in July 2020 – some might say with ‘Divine timing’ – just as the COVID-19 pandemic was taking hold and creating more challenges and “why” questions than ever. In August 2020, it was their #1 best-selling non-fiction book.
“Why vs. What” is filled with “why” questions that have touched Ron’s life and the lives of family members and friends. “Time and time again, we are faced with the challenge of getting off the human focus of “why”, when tragedy occurs, and getting onto the divine focus on “what” does God want to accomplish,” says Reitz.
“When Jesus was on earth, God demonstrated His powerful miracles through Jesus. When Jesus returned to heaven, God provided those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior, with power in the form of the Holy Spirit residing inside us. Through this book you will see how God accomplishes the “what” parts of His plans through His children. You will also see how even devoted Christians need to be pushed, prodded, and challenged, at times, in order to accomplish “what” God needs to accomplish through us.”
In June 2022 a “Why vs. What” Leader Guide was published. It was co-written by Rev. Brendan Hock, Senior Pastor at Halifax UMC, Pastor Su Rider, Associate Pastor at Halifax UMC, Rick Stence, Certified Lay Minister at Halifax UMC, and Reitz, also a CLM. It contains 12 small-group study sessions, each with an accompanying video, and questions to initiate thoughts and discussions. An ideal small group size would be 6-12 participants, but one church that studied the book had a group of 25 people. The 12 sessions would fill the weeks of Fall small groups or can be broken down into blocks of 4-6 weeks.
Reitz has received positive feedback from a number of readers. One lady wrote that she was very sad at his experiences but trying out some of the ideas in her own life. Another reader now gives a copy of “Why vs. What” to others he knows who are experiencing tragedy. A former college roommate ordered 10 copies, and sent 9 of them to others. A friend who lost a brother and son in 2021 was helped by Ron’s book to “…see things differently…”
Ron’s greatest desire is to point people to God in sharing his life experience and testimony. He hopes that, “When I am in heaven one day, [to] have people walk up behind me, place their hand on my shoulder, and say “Thank you. Because of your book I am in heaven today!”
There are no limits to the challenges we might face in our lives. There are also no limits to the grace of God and the things He wants to accomplish in and through us if we stop focusing on the unanswerable “why” questions and instead ask God, “What now?”
Find out more and order the “Why vs. What” book and Leader Guide at www.halifaxumc.com/why-vs-what/ (in time for Fall Bible study groups.)
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These educational experiences, along with 40+ years of experience in the Human Resources Management, Consulting, and Lay Ministry fields, have enabled him to effectively interact with a variety of people. Ron’s approach as he interacts and shares the Gospel is to plant “seeds” of truth into their minds and then waits for watering and harvesting instructions.
By staying in close contact with God through prayer and Bible reading, Ron continues to receive direction from God. This enables him to stay connected with God as He helps people get off the “why” questions and get on with the “what” questions and seeing how God works!
