One Semester~A Story of Faith Overcoming Fear

The following is a guest post by the talented blogger Courtney of 1 Timothy 4:12 Girl. I hope you enjoy her creative story on how God used her to reach a lost fellow student.

The story below is based heavily on my own experience at a local state college. While names have been changed for privacy purposes, the accounts described are true, and it speaks of how I believe God chose to use me during my semester at my former college. I pray that you can be inspired and encouraged, and that this story inspires you to live boldly for Christ.

 Dear God,

Remember what I wrote in my diary five years ago–about how I needed to go to Greensburg State College to reach someone for you? Well, over this past semester, I think I finally figured out who it was.

Liam Anderson.

Somehow I knew. Five years ago, when I was only thirteen years old, I knew that someone at Greensburg needed to hear about Jesus. I knew you were calling me there–just like how you called Jonah to go to Nineveh in the Old Testament.

All that was missing was the face and name. Somehow, in an event that could only be explained in the language of divine intervention, you had a plan for me to share the good news of your love and grace with a fellow classmate.

Who would have thought it would be Liam, the one guy in class who was openly involved in Wicca, and a self-proclaimed witch?

I certainly didn’t know–at least not at first. I remember the fear that washed over me when he gave a speech about his beliefs, which served as a stark contrast to my own Christian faith. I’ll be honest, I had one very distinct feeling in the midst of it. A feeling that I rarely seem to have around other people.

Fear.

Like Jonah, my instinct was to run–quite literally even, as I stood outside the classroom in the following week, very tempted to ditch class–something that I have never done before in my entire life. But this felt different, like a battle between darkness and light. A battle between two very different sides of the spiritual realm.

You gave me the courage to go back–to face my fear head on. I talked to pretty much every Christian I knew about it–my pastor’s wife, my closest friends, my parents…in a battle between fear and faith, I thought for certain that fear was going to win. But, it didn’t. Faith won–faith had the last word.

Due to the classroom setup and the way that the seats were positioned, I had the opportunity to talk to Liam on more than one occasion. I held on tightly to my faith and got up the courage to talk to someone from a very different belief system and worldview. In the midst of it, you taught me something that I should have realized all along.

Liam is a person–a person who is undoubtedly on the wrong path, but a person nonetheless. You formed him with the same hands that crafted the most devout believers on the planet. He is someone you care about–someone you’re pursuing even as I write this. As the semester continued, I began to see the many ways that you’ve gifted him. I began to see past the sin to the heart of a very sincere person, who had the capacity to make a mark for you, if he only knew you.

But there have been signs you’re doing something powerful in his life, and all this time you were using me to help plant a seed. Two weeks ago, when I gave a speech, incorporating Bible verses as I spoke, I caught him nodding–as if something about the verses resonated with something deep inside of him. He’s been surrounded by Christians this whole semester, and was sitting right up front when another girl mustered up the courage to read straight from the Bible in class.

Not to mention that dream that I had about a month ago–the one where I ran into him and he announced that he became a Christian. After that, I have an unexplainable peace about the situation–a strange sort of knowing that I’ll see him in Heaven someday. His words on the last day of class served as further confirmation of this: “I’ll see you around.”

Maybe not at Greensburg, as I’ve recently made the decision to transfer to a school that will be better fit for my degree and career, but I believe I will see him again someday. I believe that you’re leading him to you–and that my urgency to go to Greensburg, even for just one semester, was a chapter in the story that you’re writing in his life.

I don’t know what you have in store for the rest of my life or for the lives of my former classmates at Greensburg, but I know you have good plans for all those who earnestly seek you. I can trust you with my story because you’ve already written it—from my first inkling of my mission to go there, to the last day of my semester, to the time you will call me home. You have a story.

And because of this I can have faith–a faith that’s big enough to overcome any fear.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

I hope you like this post! For more writing by Courtney, check out her blog here.

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