I was fortunate to grow up in a home with very supportive parents and a loving family. At a young age, my dad instilled in me the importance of choosing right from wrong. He encouraged me to not be afraid of going against the crowd and to stand up for what I believed in. It was his leniency and trust in me to make good judgements that made me want to be a better person as I got older.
Going into my sophomore year of high school, a lot of my “friends” went down the path of popularity and began doing things to fit in they otherwise would have never done. As those I spent the most time with began making these decisions, I found myself questioning what I knew to be right and ultimately leaving the door open for compromise. Prior to making any of these decisions, it was in God’s perfect timing that my older brother invited me to church. A guest speaker was there that day and although I remember nothing about the sermon, I vividly remember how I felt as he prayed at the end of the service. With my eyes closed, I felt the weight of conviction on my heart that even though I had been pretty good up to that point, God was not in my life and I needed to make things right with Him. It was that Sunday morning in the Fall of 1998 that God let me choose a different path in life. His grace in my life became something I was proud to stand for and share with others.
God has taught me over the years that you become like those you spend the most time with. It wasn’t overnight but through various open doors and getting outside of my comfort zone, He has led great people into my life. I’ve also learned that when we take our eyes off ourselves and serve others, we earn the “ears” of those around us and the opportunity to speak truth into their life.
My life has continued to have challenges and adversities, just the same, but it has been my relationship with Christ and what I’ve learned in the Bible that have given me peace and strength amidst the storms. “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim 1:7) So when the difficult times have come, I have chosen to accept His words as being true, and to His glory…it has made all the difference.