The principal of the Christian school I graduated from asked me to write a testimony that he could share with the current students in chapel about how the Lord worked in my life after graduating to the mission field of Hungary. Since my being in Hungary really came down to how the Lord worked in my husband's life and my call was to follow my husband wherever the Lord led him, I decided to share this specific account that, perhaps, students could relate to:
I was the ridiculously shy girl at school when I attended Dublin Christian Academy (DCA) during my junior and senior years of high school. I had a fear of public speaking. I never even raised my hand in class to answer a question, because that would require speaking over a room full of people. Even Mr. Katka’s Speech classes couldn’t cure me of the dread I felt when my voice was heard above all others. During my senior year of Speech class, my class was in charge of directing the 6th-grade class in the play The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The night of the performance, Mr. Katka asked us three senior class directors to speak to the young cast by means of a pep talk before they preformed their diligently practiced play. The other two directors had long, beautifully delivered speeches that would have encouraged the severest stage frightened child. I, on the other hand, was the last to speak just before they went on stage. I said something along the line of “Uh, you all will do great.” Wow, way to encourage them, I chided myself. The students performed wonderfully so my pathetic pep talk did them no harm, and as it was basically my last assignment in speech class, I assumed my career in public speaking was over.
I managed to make it all the way to 2014 without having to hear my voice projected above a crowd of peers. Just half a year prior to this, my husband had graduated from Bible College and surrendered to the mission field of Hungary after our pastor had taken him on a Missions trip. I did not become automatically aware of what this could mean for me as we started the transition from jobs and school of our three children to full-time deputation, but slowly the realization of just how much I would have to be in the spotlight dawned on me as we visited new churches in seeking prayer and financial support for our ministry. For the most part, I merely stood by my husband’s side at our display table and shook hands with the church members. He did most of the speaking in front of the church as he presented our burden for the people of Hungary and preached.
And then it happened...
The first time I was asked to speak to a group of ladies during a missions conference, the familiar butterflies that the ridiculously shy girl in school suffered came fluttering back. I had taught children before, but this was different. What could I possibly have to share with these ladies that they would even want to hear?? As I was preparing what to say, I was reminded of Moses as God spoke to him at the burning bush. The Lord had a job for Moses, yet all he could say were all his reasons for not going. “Who am I?” “What should I say?” “What if they don’t believe me or listen to me?” “I am slow of speech.” “Send someone else.” Moses who led the children of Israel out of Egypt, Moses who was used mightily of God, Moses who met with God on Mount Sinai, was afraid of public speaking! Excuses didn’t deter God from using Moses, so I resolved to not use them myself. I prayed fervently about what to say, and once I had a script, I rehearsed it over and over again. I delivered my speech and sat down, not feeling I had done a great job but relieved it was over. The ladies were kind and thanked me, but I knew it was probably not the last time I would have to speak in front of a crowd. Eventually, it got easier and easier. My dread of speaking in public is still there, but I find that if I pray about what the Lord would have me to say, He always gives me the words needed that the audience needs to hear.
I was asked to share with current DCA students how the Lord led me after graduation from DCA to the mission field. When I was a student at DCA, being a missionary was never even an idea I had considered. But the Lord lit up my path just enough for me to see the next step I was to take. I had no idea what the end result would be, but I am so thankful He was always faithful to guide my next step. Part of that was how He led me to marry my husband, Jason. The Lord led Jason to take a Missions trip to Hungary with our Pastor. It was not until Jason was in the country that he saw the great need for the Gospel to be preached in Hungary. Whenever asked about how the Lord led him to Hungary, Jason refers to the story of David in 1 Samuel 17. David did not know about the need of the people (the Philistines defying the armies of the living God v. 26 ) until he saw with his own two eyes the great need. “Is there not a cause?” David declared in verse 29. When Jason saw the need for Gospel preaching churches in Hungary, it was then that he surrendered to go himself. I would encourage all the students to take at least one Missions trip to see the need for the Gospel to be taken to other parts of the world, for as the prophet, Jeremiah, declared, “mine eye affecteth mine heart” (Lamentations 3:51).
Though I never would have dreamed I’d end up living in Hungary when I was a DCA student, I am thankful for the Lord’s guiding my family here and for the opportunity we've had to serve Him here.
After all, among Jesus’s last words on earth before ascending to Heaven were “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
After all, is there not a cause?
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DCA class of 2001
(I'm the first girl on the right in the middle row.) |
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