Michael Kissinger’s Story

To fully appreciate my story it is imperative to understand my past… the life I left behind.  I was a Golf Professional.  No, not exactly what you might be thinking.  I wasn’t making millions of dollars and you would have never seen me on TV.  After college, I started my career at an exquisite 5-star/5-diamond resort in Colorado.  I moved up the “ladder” very quickly and secured a management position after just one year.  I was a person who desired opportunity and somehow they just found me.  Next, I was offered and accepted a Head Golf Professional position at a brand new Gary Player Signature designed golf course.  What does that mean?  At the ripe age of 25, I was solely responsible for opening and managing a brand new golf course.  This was a dream come true!  I remember my thought at the time was, “could it get much better than this?”  YES, it could and it did!  After about a year, I was given the opportunity to travel the world managing golf events for elite corporate clients.  This moved me to Las Vegas, a world that I had never experienced before.  I truly had my dream job… traveling to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Cabo San Lucas and every sought after destination you could think of with in the United States.  Staying in AMAZING resorts, playing some of the best golf courses in the world, eating in the swankiest of restaurants and getting paid well to do so!  I was the envy of all my friends… I was living the “high life.”

Or was I… inside I was a mess!  I had a God-shaped hole in my heart that I tried to fill in every way possible: partying, excessive drinking, drugs, sex before marriage, and high stakes gambling at casinos – game of choice, black jack.  I was desperately trying to fill that void, I was delaying the inevitable!  I knew what I needed but wasn’t ready to truly surrender my life, the life I had fought so hard to build, to someone else… until I was completely BROKEN.  How can one have everything this world has to offer be so miserable?  Simple, God wasn’t the center!

On May 30, 2007 I resigned from my “dream job,” walked away from my house in the gated community with the pool & hot tub in the backyard, happily donated almost all of my possessions to good will, flew my father out to Palm Desert, CA where I lived at the time, started my journey home to restore my relationship with my heavenly Father and my biological father.  I moved back to “sunny” Latham, NY to live with my parents, work in construction and most importantly make God priority number one in my life.  I tell you what, it was and probably will be the most difficult decision I would have to make… but it definitely was the best decision of my life!

Please listen to my words carefully.  I am not claiming that my life, especially from the world’s perspective, is perfect or ever going to be!  What I am trying to say is that I have finally filled that hole in my heart by seeking an authentic daily relationship with our Lord and Savior!  God promises numerous times in His word that we will face hard times and tribulations, but the best part is that He will never leave us nor forsake us.