how you got here

this morning was just the coolest thing ever. went to an early morning women's bible study. i don't know how many of us were packed in there; maybe 30-35? we went around the room and each person told the group the key influences/factors in their coming to Christ. it was amazing to hear how different some of our stories were. i think i love this sort of question anyway. looking back on the people and things that molded and shaped the person you are becoming today. i've done that in the past; listed the top 20 men/women in my life who had were the most influential. the exercise made me realize how much i have to be grateful for. it also makes me realize that our brief seasons in one anothers life may have lasting and permanent benefits. a little scary, no? but also really exciting. so this morning i shared two main influences (dan allender's books & people over 50 who've invested a little time in me)... on the way to work i thought of more. thought i'd list them here so i will have a record of it somewhere. here they are in no particular order. little lights along the dark path that lead me to the one whose changed my world:
* my grandmother reading the narnia series to me via cassette tapes that she'd mail to png. those stories taught me that the magic my heart longed for as a child could be found in Jesus....
* my mother reading john white's "the tower of geburah" series to us kids every night in the village. "hey, you dumb chicken, he who Gaal pardons is pardoned indeed!" still makes me cry every time i think of it.
* c.s. lewis (the great divorce, mere christianity). i saw myself in almost every character...humbling and hopeful....disturbing but inviting..
* a teacher at my high school (gail edoni) who decided to do a little bible study with two of us girls for a term or two. the bible study course we went through opened up scripture as something i could understand and something that could feed my soul if i could just figure out how to tap into it.
* this lively passionate woman who co-lead the middle-school youth group with me (inga odenwald, you know who you are). we went through fosters "celeberation of discipline" - i still remember us all kneeling with the kids in the dark, pouring out our hearts... feeling the Holy Spirit move - all the more powerful to see Him reaching such young people. our times of praying for the group ahead of time were also very intense - i could tell someone was actually there and actually listening....
* my aunt alyce; a very intelligent and thoughtful believer who also happened to love me a whole lot. i couldn't reject all authority because i couldn't deny her love for me was real and seemed to be rooted in her faith.
* my aunt joyce; long-suffering. showed me the tenderness of Christ. i really hadn't experienced a lot of that first-hand before getting to know her.
* friends; bonnie duncan in png, stephanie marshall in college
* my syblings. they have always been beacons of hope and encouragers to follow after the light instead of sucumbing to the hopelessness that seemed so attractive at times.
* michael card's lyrics & music. i used to be terrified of the old testament. he made me see that it was truly a part of the love story.
* tim keller's sermons. so much of my muddled thinking that lead to so much fear was dealt with in those sermons. the marriage series helped me to process a lot of my past family issues that had me stuck.
* grandma nita young. i can't even begin to explain here...
* sonship - and the way it changed ub & aj's lives. no denying that something very powerful was at work in the world.
* crown ministries under the loving leadership of the winters. God's tenderness and faithfulness became very real and the realiziation that the practical implications of believing Him and his word could change my life.
* returning to png after the tsunami hit to help with the rebuilding project (rob carter's incredible belief and support of our family, which was in shambles at the time). definitely a turning point there.
* most recently; aa and my trip to england with world harvest.
* no wait, more recently than that; dr. mory and his wife. their prayers changed something deep in me that needed changing and things haven't been the same since.
* people over 50 are still huge in my life; the punc's are a sweet presence and are constantly singing the siren call of the gospel into my life.
* a group of women i like to call 'my girls'.... calling me out left and right when my life sounds all right but looks all wrong...

wow. it took a LOT of people to get me where i am! i am such a miracle. i bet you are too.