A "Livin' Out Loud 4 Jesus" Lifestyle
I am forever grateful to
my big sister and brother for introducing me to roller-skating when I was only
four-years-old. Our mom made them take me, of course, so, I was a nuisance and
embarrassment to them. Nevertheless, skating became my passion.
It opened up a world of
freedom, independence and self-expression. Gliding around the rink gave me a
place to soar and spread my wings. Whether skating with friends or all alone, I
was free to be me.
However, somewhere along
life’s way I became uncertain about how to be free to be me. I began hiding the
real me, hiding my lamp under a basket where only a dim glow could shine.
(Matthew 5:15)
Audacious and Sassy
As I look back at the
beginning of my life in a small Nebraska town with my parents’ love and
security, the youngest of their three children, I reveled in being the center
of attention.
“Audacious and sassy” or
outspoken, overconfident, and generally rebellious best describes my inherent
personality. (My siblings would call my behavior as “being a spoiled little
brat.”) Attending Sunday school religiously, I accepted Jesus as my Savior with
baptism at the age of nine. All seemed good. But then …
I Became a Teenager
When my overconfident self
moved toward the more rebellious side, an inner conflict followed. Society’s
anti-establishment teachings of the sixties and seventies contradicted my
understanding of Christianity. I boldly debated for women’s rights and free
love, while preaching to my friends to live the righteous Christian life.
I desperately tried
straddling both sides, but found it much more difficult than balancing on my
roller skates.
High school friends and
classmates admired my daring ability to stand up against authorities. Many even
came to me for guidance and counsel, but I really did not have “all of life’s
answers” or know where to find them.
Before my life spun
completely out of control, my patient God intervened, gently turning me back to
Him.
First, He brought a
wonderful young man of integrity into my life. Even though our relationship
could be rocky and confusing at times, we married a year and a half later. Together we learned to
follow God’s moral compass, and surrendered our wills to Him.
From Rebel to Servant
God then moved us away
from our childhood homes, introducing Christian friends who taught us how to
know Jesus as Lord. As I studied the Bible, I discovered “all of life’s
answers are in His Book.”
As God’s Word guided my
everyday living, conviction of my teenage rebellion and the poor influence I
had been upon my friends haunted me. How could I ever go back and
correct the wrongs of my past? God used the conviction; He turned it into a
passion to minister to youth.
Over the next 30 years,
various opportunities presented themselves to me as a means to teach young
people that “All of life’s answers are in His Book.” When God called me to
write, I saw it as another avenue for me to tell those seeking God's truth.
Living Loud
Living
with my audacious, sassy personality His way hasn’t come easily, but it is so
wonderful to feel like I am free to be me again. Now I again skate through
life, gliding as on eagle’s wings, freely soaring, and no longer hiding.
Look Out …this girl is letting the Light of God shine without
restraint
“Livin’ Out Loud for Jesus.” (Matthew 5:16)
