Flashback to Danielle at 17 years old. New in my walk with the Lord and searching for hope and direction. One day, my junior English teacher, Mr. Emmert invited three time Grammy award winner Bill Miller to come and speak to our class. Bill shared about his life and experience in the music industry, including his time working on the song “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas. He played some songs for us on his guitar, and some on his flute, and I was blown away. That night, a group of us went to dinner together and listened to more wisdom from Bill. We laughed a lot, and I have to say I was a little awestruck all day, partially because Pocahontas is my favorite, and partially because I had just begun dreaming of a career producing music and I was getting to hear about the industry first hand from an amazing musician. During dinner, Bill asked me what I wanted to do as a career, and I shared my big dreams with him. As we left, Bill stopped me in the parking lot of the American Legion in little ole Ferdinand, Indiana and spoke words over my life that I have never forgotten. Words that constantly reverberate through my mind. “You, Danielle, have the spirit of a fighter. I saw it in your eyes as soon as I met you today. Channel that fight positively and you will change this world. Spirits like yours are rare and unique, never easily broken. Don’t waste it. You, my friend, are a fighter.” I was at a loss for words. All I could say was “thank you.” He walked away, and I have never seen him again. I’ve never been able to convey how much those words changed my life. I’ve never shared the story of that night with anyone else up until now. They are words that I have held sacred. Words I kept in my safe place to remember often. Words so personal, so profound. Words that made such a deep impact on my soul from a man who didn’t know anything about me, and whom I will probably never see again in my life.
Flash forward to Danielle at Asbury University. As I dove into new depths with the Lord and formed relationships that have impacted my life greatly, the people around me continuously spoke those same words over me. “You’re a fighter.” “You fight for your friends.” “You’ve had to fight for yourself, but now you get to fight for the kingdom.” “You are a warrior. A mighty warrior for the Lord.” “Your fight through prayer does not go unnoticed.” “You are a fighter.” These words were now coming from people that knew me. People who fought for me, who invested in me, who dove with me into the depths the Lord was calling me to. These words slowly yet surly sank in. This identity, this attribute of my being, this spirit of a fighter, this is who God created me to be. This is a tool he gave me to use for the kingdom.
God is so faithful in showing me how to use this fight effectively for his glory. Before I left for the race, the Lord had already told me that I was going to need to tap more into this fight daily. While I haven’t been perfect at it, I have grown so much through it. He has shown me specifically in each country how to fight for myself, my team, my squad, our hosts, our ministries, and that country. It blows my mind!! Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I wake up every morning to this overwhelming spiritual battle that I have to fight through each day. I’m simply saying that the best offense is a great defense. That defense is fighting for the truth and proclaiming the victory that was already won on the cross 2,000 years ago. Please know that you are a fighter too. We all are responsible to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6) daily so that we can do our part to build kingdom. We are the body and we each have unique skills and attributes that make us invaluable tools in building kingdom. Don’t ever forget that. And if you don’t know what yours are, please ask. I’m confident that the Lord will show you if you keep your eyes open. It may be in the most unexpected way, like through a three time Grammy winning stranger in an American Legion parking lot, or it may simply be something you’ve known all along. Either way, recognize the honor that it is to serve God out of your giftings, dive into them daily, and be prepared to have your mind blown by the things he will show you and the ways he will use them. I look forward with anticipation of how the Lord will use this gift he has given me through the race and throughout the rest of my life.
P.S. Can you believe we are heading into month FOUR of the race!?!?! So exciting! That also means that my FINAL fundraising deadline is rapidly approaching. By April 30th I need to have the total $17,017 in my account in order to finish the work he started and stay on the field. That means I need $3,932 in the next 31 days to get there. We can do it guys!
