Answering the Call

“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.”

I sighed aloud as these words jumped off the page of my Bible and into my heart. For months, I’d been toying with the idea of diving headfirst into public speaking, leaving my job with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and sharing with the world how God drastically changed my life that fateful day almost four years ago.

From the moment my video became viral, He slowly began to show me how big His plans were for my life. Did I want to share the most private and gut-wrenching video of my life? Absolutely not. But sometimes, you just can’t deny the clear and crazy choice God has called you to make.

The day God shared this verse with me was a Monday, and this was the third Monday of a fast we were doing as a staff. I had already decided the night before that this would be the day I’d finally tell my boss my thoughts about leaving FCA and pursuing this calling that I honestly had no idea how to pursue. I hate change and always have, but God seems to always find a way to make those uncomfortable changes seem so necessary that I have no choice but to obediently obey.

So, with my extra bit of courage from God’s word that morning, I found myself explaining to my boss, stumbling over words, how I’ve felt this call on my life and need to pursue it. Saying the words “God is calling me out of FCA” was not easy, and I could feel the tears welling up and my throat getting tight as I proclaimed them.

I’ve spoken numerous times through FCA, sharing my story in front of classrooms of five or on a stage in front of 1,500. And I truly believe that God prepared me for this next step by placing those speaking engagements in front of me and giving me so many opportunities to prepare.

God’s call on my life at this moment is to share with whomever I can, whenever I can, wherever I can. And I earnestly pray that through my story of tragedy, healing, and redemption, I can show the world that there is a God who loves us all and desires a deep, meaningful relationship with us.

Come follow me on this journey. I would love to share what God has done. 

Boasting in the Lord

It is my prayer that everyone who hears my story will leave not with another crazy story to tell about some girl falling off a waterfall, but with a story they can’t contain about God’s crazy and unimaginable love. 

Scripture tells us that “it is by grace we have been saved, through faith—and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Everything we have, from the breath in our lungs to the food on our tables, is a gift from God. And to boast about anything is to deny God the credit that He deserves.

My story is not about me. It is about a God who loves me so much that He chose to save me. He saved not just my earthly body, but He saved me to life eternal with him—forever! 

Everyone needs to know about the saving power of Jesus. If He saved me, He can save so many more as well. I pray that I will have endless opportunities to share what God has done and to encourage others to boast in the Lord.