I can’t remember a time in my life that I’ve not known Jesus. I remember growing up and wishing that I had undergone some radical transformation that changed my life and led me to Christ. I recently read a short story in which the narrator reflects on her life saying, “I wish there was a monumental moment that crystallized the person I had become. Instead it was a life long journey…as hokey as that sounds.” I can identify completely with this character. I’ve had many “light bulb” moments when I felt like I was awakened to a new start, but it is a collection of different moments and phases of my life that makes me who I am today.
I considered writing about a few of these life changing moments, but these stories are much better in person, so I’ll save these for a different time and place. Suffice it to say, God is so GRACIOUS. He is the epitome of tough love and allows me to endure and suffer in order for me to learn to love Him more. I am so grateful to learn from tragedy. I am learning what it means to consider it pure joy when I am faced with these trials (James 1:2).
Kelsey King and I in Bratislava.
I am overwhelmed with the blessings God has showered on me. Sometimes when I think about how God is working in my life, I literally get emotional. I am surrounded by such beautiful people who support me and love me. Really love me. I know everyone says they have “the best friends ever,” but I know this to be true in my life. Ha. Sometimes I feel selfish to hoard them all. I think I should probably spread them out or share them with other people. It just doesn’t seem fair.
My family: Jerry is the father, Debby is the mother, Dana is the sister, Mikayla is the niece, Noah is the nephew. Together we are the Gearhart family. We are a bunch of broken ragamuffins, but God is bigger than we can imagine. I pray for healing and I know that God can and will deliver us from the chains of addiction, anger, resentment, and pain. I am blessed to have a family who loves, inspires, encourages, and challenges me.
Partial family, minus Dad, Dana, and Noah.
I recently graduated from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana and Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. I earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a license to teach English as a second language. After graduation, I moved back to my hometown to help out my family. I sometimes miss my life in Terre Haute and the adventures that ensued. It was a simple life and I was so comfortable. I never want to be at a point where I am so comfortable that I am not being challenged. I felt God was calling me to move home and it has been in the last few months that God taught me a little about humility and obedience. To be honest, I was a little embarrassed about moving back in with my mom. I had been independent, living on my own; I spent 6 months traveling around Europe. This seemed like a major step backward. I am even more embarrassed to admit that. I realize now how prideful I was. I wanted to teach abroad or work for a non-profit. I wanted to be impressive. I began to substitute teach and I prayed that God would give me patience and help me to be obedient. I was offered a full time teaching position in East Chicago teaching 8th grade English. This was not the answer I wanted and I was not interested in teaching middle school. I remember middle school quite clearly and had no desire to ever return. After praying about it, I decided there wasn’t much to lose and I would give it my best shot. The first few weeks were pretty rough teaching in “the hood” as my students called it. I was one of three white girls in the school- a fact my students never failed to remind me. It only took a few weeks for me to stop crying in the bathroom and gain the respect of my students. I came to love them more than I thought possible. I try hard not to be one of those teacher ladies with endless stories about her students, but I have some good ones! Some days are still pretty impossible, but I usually find myself thinking, “I can’t believe I get paid to hang out with these kids all day.” I feel like I am learning what it means to see people as God sees his children. I could write twice this much about how God has used me and what He has taught me working in the inner city, but again, I will save that for a different time. I wouldn’t even know where to start. I feel like this time teaching has fulfilled a purpose and this season of my life is over. I am SO excited for this new chapter of my life to begin.
These are a few of my favorite things…
Learning new things, human rights, social justice and activism, good senses of humor, 1960’s counterculture, world-changers, napping outdoors, urban teaching, etsy.com, all things fair trade, arts and crafting, Jamie’s famous sweet tea, road trips, couchsurfing, meeting new people, microlending, maps, funny movies, funny people, puns, wit, snowball fights on the corner of Pearson and Rice, Sufjan Stevens, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Cursive, Cold War Kids, Tony Campolo, Anne Lammott, mewithoutyou, bus rides, baking cookies, real conversations, talk radio, community, mountains, being barefoot, quotes worth quoting, sleeping with the windows open, the book of James, laughing so hard it hurts, spending time with people, game nights, analyzing dreams, teaching English, learning more about who Jesus is and learning to love Him more.
Pleased to meet you!
