Someone once said to me, "What's life without taking risks?"
I've always embraced the rewards–and the consequences–that come from taking a nice risk from time to time.
But what if your whole LIFE was a risk?
I'd like you to meet Valery, our translator from our time in Ukraine, but more importantly my good friend and beautiful sister in Christ.
(I look sweaty and gross, but she looks so cute 24/7)
I told Valery that I felt led to write my next blog about her, so I asked her to write out her story for me, and this is what she wrote:
"Hi. This is Valery. And this is my story.
On September 21, 2011, I was on my way to school. For some reason, I decided to take a different route to school that day. For almost two years, I couldn't understand what made me choose THAT way; but now I know that it was the Holy Spirit who was guiding me that day. To reach school, I had to cross the road right in front of the school where there are always lots of small kids and the drivers are very attentive and careful. I started walking towards the road and right as I was about to cross the street, I was hit by a car.
This car was flying! The speed was so high that I had my ankle broken, I got a brain concussion, a huge bruise on my leg and when I got up from the ground I found blood on my face. As a result, I was at the hospital for 2 weeks, I couldn't walk for 3 weeks, and my Mom didn't let me look at myself in the mirror because my face looked so beaten up! It took 3 months for the bruise to heal and I still have a scar on my cheek… people don't notice it, but I do. Every time when I put make up on, or wash my face, or just look in the mirror it reminds me about the accident. My ankle still hurts when I play sports too much, and 5 months after the car hit me, I still had an area of skin on my forehead that was insensitive (I didn't feel ANYTHING when I touched it). And one more thing… Just imagine the strength of the hit – the only damage I made to the car was that I knocked off the right-side mirror of that car with my head and the mirror flew 3 meters away.
When I was in the ambulance, I couldn’t see objects clearly – everything was blurry and I was laughing from shock. In the hospital I accidently heard my Mom's conversation with the doctor – he said that if the car was going a little bit faster I could have died because that was my second concussion, and if I get a third concussion, I will DEFINITELY die.
But it took 2 years for me to finally understand. So here's the second part of the story:
To start off, I’d like to say that this summer was the best summer ever because I accepted Jesus as my savior, I repented, so now I’m with God! And He works in my life, He brings people into my life, and in August a team of World racers came to my city . To make the long story short, the members of the team were helping with the softball camp that took place in Lugansk and I was translating for them. Every day, one of the members would share his or her story and, of course, I would translate. That day I decided to listen to the testimony before translating it into Russian.
Neysa (the girl who was to share that day) and me sat down and Ney started telling me her story. In the middle of the story tears began falling down my face because I finally understood why I didnt go to school “my usual way ” that day. And when Neysa finished I was still crying and I said, “Now I understand why I'm still here, in this world . God loves me and He has a plan for me. ” Then, I told Ney Ney what happened to me 2 years ago. And then I started laughing because even though the doctors told me I needed to be very careful, I still play sports all the time. Even dangerous sports like volleyball and softball . I call them dangerous because at any time, I could get hit by a ball hard enough to get that stupid brain concussion, and the third concussion could mean death.
I do things I love, and I love things I do … because God is always with me and He loves me."
I can't even begin to tell you how much Valery has blessed my life, and the lives of my teammates. Valery lives day to day with the knowledge that her body is a little more fragile than everyone surrounding her. She knows that a minor accident could end her life at any moment. But she also lives day to day knowing that, without a doubt, her life is in God's hands.
She has freedom.
Do you have that freedom?
Whether we realize it or not, our lives are an everyday risk, too. All it takes is a car accident, a tornado, a shooting, or an illness. These are everyday occurrences. We like to think we're invincible, but we're not.
"…you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." (James 4:14 ESV)
To be honest, there was a time in my life where this reality scared me to death. But that was before I knew Jesus.
You guys, there is FREEDOM in taking a risk and getting to know Jesus. There is freedom when you live in Him, and He lives in you.
With this freedom, your life isn't even yours anymore. It's His. And there's no better or safer place for it to be.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV)
So I ask again, do you have that freedom? And are you taking all the right risks?
