OK, so what’s your testimony? I have always been a little jealous of those with a powerful conversion story—a dramatic moment when they went from a near death experience. I have come to realize that my testimony is a series of little life experiences where God has prepared me to be a witness. Now if only I can live up to the challenge.
I will frame this testimony around the idea of explaining things I have learned about God and about myself:
I know that God prepares us and he has been preparing me for all these sixty-three years.
There once was a centipede who was supposed to be in the football game between the animals and the insects. In the first half the animals were winning by a mile. At half time, the insects come in to the locker room, and got the centipede to join them for the second half. He was all over the place, catching passes, throwing the ball, and instrumental in turning the game around. Afterwards, when everyone asked him where he had been the first half, the centipede responded that he had been getting ready, tying his shoes. Of course he needed to prepare and his team really needed him.
My dad was my Sunday school teacher. He spent a lot of time talking and listening to me. I learned about God in those days and how important our fathers and teachers are in our lives.
Raised in a Lutheran tradition, I learned Bible stories, went through confirmation, spent summers at church music camp with friends. I learned how wonderful it is to be part of a Christian community, how important music is to me in worship and how much I love to read God’s word.
I went to Colorado College to become an English teacher. There I met my husband, whistling along the road by my dorm on his way to church. He encouraged me to work at summer camp with him in Nederland where I fell in love with him, the Rocky Mountains, and working with kids. When I told him I wanted to date others, too, he broke up with me, telling me to read “Love is patient and kind…” In fact, he was patient and kind, through all my adventures with other boys, my first job and apartment, and we got married six years later.
My first job was with Denver Public schools. I learned that I am so lucky to have become teacher, for I never wondered if I can make a difference. Every day I have been given that opportunity, especially in teaching English which abounds in opportunities to discuss values and the meanings of life. Smiley Junior High, a black inner city school in Denver and Rishel Junior High, a Chicano school in south Denver taught me valuable lessons about Christ’s love, how to be a minority, and how love not violence works. I learned that children are children, all of us standing in the need of prayer.
After we had been married seven years, my husband had two severe operations. So shocked by the gravity of the situation, I wondered where God’s love was. I prayed in despair. It wasn’t long before I realized that God’s love was all around me, in the service and action of others. So many loving people reached out to us.
About five year later, we had two daughters. More than anything, we wanted them to know God and to see Him. We took them to church, sang in the choir, went on mission trips, and loved them. At this time one daughter is in seminary and the other an opera singer. Both know God and worship Him.
Meanwhile, I wanted to move from teaching English to becoming a school librarian. I wanted to serve the teachers as well as the students. So I started back to graduate school while teaching in a Christian school in Phoenix. About this time, our house burned down. My husband and children would tell you that it’s one of the best things that ever happened to us. We learned again that we don’t need anything but our faith and one another.
A short time later, we moved to Denver so I could take job at Cherry Creek High School. We missed Colorado and I was excited for the challenge. One daughter was already away at school and the other would be leaving for college soon. I realized then, in the absence of our two daughters, how lucky I am to be with teenagers at school… It is such a unique, wonderful time of life. They provide so much fun for us.
At Cherry Creek, I was fortunate to work with a lovely Christian woman, another librarian, who joined an organization called Room to Read. With her help, we were able to raise funds to build a library in a school in a third world country. As we worked on that project, I came to realize that my purposes weren’t the same as the school’s, and I became discouraged. A mentor of mine told me about Valor, that a librarian had already been hired. About a month later when I learned that she had resigned at the last minute, I knew the Holy Spirit was telling me that to start Valor’s library would give me a new way to work. As I purchased what we needed for our library, I made our collection policy reflect God’s purpose: “…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).As librarian I desire to help students to question the world and to become convicted in the truth.
This fall, I took some baby steps--went gleaning, and to World Vision—in order to work alongside our students as they serve.
Now it’s time to stop preparing and be a witness in a new way in India.
I will frame this testimony around the idea of explaining things I have learned about God and about myself:
I know that God prepares us and he has been preparing me for all these sixty-three years.
There once was a centipede who was supposed to be in the football game between the animals and the insects. In the first half the animals were winning by a mile. At half time, the insects come in to the locker room, and got the centipede to join them for the second half. He was all over the place, catching passes, throwing the ball, and instrumental in turning the game around. Afterwards, when everyone asked him where he had been the first half, the centipede responded that he had been getting ready, tying his shoes. Of course he needed to prepare and his team really needed him.
My dad was my Sunday school teacher. He spent a lot of time talking and listening to me. I learned about God in those days and how important our fathers and teachers are in our lives.
Raised in a Lutheran tradition, I learned Bible stories, went through confirmation, spent summers at church music camp with friends. I learned how wonderful it is to be part of a Christian community, how important music is to me in worship and how much I love to read God’s word.
I went to Colorado College to become an English teacher. There I met my husband, whistling along the road by my dorm on his way to church. He encouraged me to work at summer camp with him in Nederland where I fell in love with him, the Rocky Mountains, and working with kids. When I told him I wanted to date others, too, he broke up with me, telling me to read “Love is patient and kind…” In fact, he was patient and kind, through all my adventures with other boys, my first job and apartment, and we got married six years later.
My first job was with Denver Public schools. I learned that I am so lucky to have become teacher, for I never wondered if I can make a difference. Every day I have been given that opportunity, especially in teaching English which abounds in opportunities to discuss values and the meanings of life. Smiley Junior High, a black inner city school in Denver and Rishel Junior High, a Chicano school in south Denver taught me valuable lessons about Christ’s love, how to be a minority, and how love not violence works. I learned that children are children, all of us standing in the need of prayer.
After we had been married seven years, my husband had two severe operations. So shocked by the gravity of the situation, I wondered where God’s love was. I prayed in despair. It wasn’t long before I realized that God’s love was all around me, in the service and action of others. So many loving people reached out to us.
About five year later, we had two daughters. More than anything, we wanted them to know God and to see Him. We took them to church, sang in the choir, went on mission trips, and loved them. At this time one daughter is in seminary and the other an opera singer. Both know God and worship Him.
Meanwhile, I wanted to move from teaching English to becoming a school librarian. I wanted to serve the teachers as well as the students. So I started back to graduate school while teaching in a Christian school in Phoenix. About this time, our house burned down. My husband and children would tell you that it’s one of the best things that ever happened to us. We learned again that we don’t need anything but our faith and one another.
A short time later, we moved to Denver so I could take job at Cherry Creek High School. We missed Colorado and I was excited for the challenge. One daughter was already away at school and the other would be leaving for college soon. I realized then, in the absence of our two daughters, how lucky I am to be with teenagers at school… It is such a unique, wonderful time of life. They provide so much fun for us.
At Cherry Creek, I was fortunate to work with a lovely Christian woman, another librarian, who joined an organization called Room to Read. With her help, we were able to raise funds to build a library in a school in a third world country. As we worked on that project, I came to realize that my purposes weren’t the same as the school’s, and I became discouraged. A mentor of mine told me about Valor, that a librarian had already been hired. About a month later when I learned that she had resigned at the last minute, I knew the Holy Spirit was telling me that to start Valor’s library would give me a new way to work. As I purchased what we needed for our library, I made our collection policy reflect God’s purpose: “…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).As librarian I desire to help students to question the world and to become convicted in the truth.
This fall, I took some baby steps--went gleaning, and to World Vision—in order to work alongside our students as they serve.
Now it’s time to stop preparing and be a witness in a new way in India.
