A couple of days ago, I had the oppourtunity to speak at the orientation day for Circle Christian School. They wanted me to speak briefly about teenagers and what they are capable of. To do this, I shared some of my story. I was a good kid. I did everything right. I got good grades, I was concerned about adult issues. I matured quickly and didn’t get wrapped up in high school commitments. Seemingly, I did everything “right.” Yet, as I shared with the folks at CCS, I had a lot more going on underneath the surface. I had sins in my life that no one knew about. I had addictions that were taking root very deep within my heart. I had no clue what was going on inside of me emotionally and I had no intimate relationships to speak of.

As I got up to share my story with a group of strangers, I was reminded of two things. First, God has done some amazing work in my life. He had laid His hand on me from a very early age and set me on a path of His choosing. For that, I felt loved and humbled. Second, I was scared. I tend to forget how hard it is to get up and be honest about my heart. To be honest about my struggles. When I stood up on stage and looked out into a sea of faces, I felt my anxiety creeping up. I could feel the pull to turn inside of myself and hide. But, then I remembered that turning and hiding is the very path that God set out to rescue me from. He gave me the power to open up and not hide. I felt honored to be able to do it.