"The Lord has a sense of humour." The remark came from Jonathan Cain, 66, best known as the keyboardist for the rock band Journey and the composer and lyricist behind the iconic hit "Don't Stop Believin'," The Blaze reported.
Cain, who turned his back on his Christian faith when he was still a boy, made the remark a year after he married Paula White, senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Orlando, Florida.
Asked if he had thought of marrying a preacher, Cain laughed, saying if God wanted to see him renew his faith, ending up married to a minister is the only way that would happen. And happen it did.
Before he met White, Cain had a falling out with his faith when he witnessed a devastating fire in a Chicago Catholic school back in 1958 that claimed the lives of 92 children and three nuns.
That tragedy caused Cain to drop his plan to become a priest.
"I was dead set on being a priest," Cain told The Blaze. "I was praying to Jesus hard that afternoon, 'Please, let these children out,' you know, and it wasn't to be and they got trapped upstairs and 100 of them perished. So I was a little disillusioned. How could Jesus let that happen?"
Many years later, Cain realised that the tragic deaths were not God's fault.
Cain returned to his faith when he met White in a "supernatural" way aboard a Southwest Airlines flight when Cain was traveling with Journey. He credits White for leading him to rediscover God.
Now, Cain wants to become a true follower of Christ — "not just a part-time Christian."
His spiritual journey led to the creation of a new album titled "What God Wants to Hear," which he described as a "journal" between him and God. Cain's new solo album was released on Friday, Oct. 21, on Identity Records.
While he wrote "Don't Stop Believin'" during his season of despair, he said he gave birth to his new album at a time of personal joy and success.
His latest album comprised of original Christian tracks — a project that Cain said might not have happened had he not bumped into White on an airplane a few years ago.
"I hope it inspires people—that they are worthy, they do have a shot at something special, at something great," he said. "It's not closing the door, it's just staying enlightened and awakened. ... This is my love letter to [God]. It's my thanks for the grace that he gives me, that's all."
