Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2014

B oldness and courage. These words come to mind when we think of Moses or the Apostle Paul. But not me! I’m an introvert, a person who missed opportunities growing up because I was so shy. But I knowGod calls ordinary people like you and me, and it’s not through a burning bush or a blinding light. God’s call to boldness came tome 15 years ago. It wasn’t an earth-shattering moment, but He pulled me out of my normal, timid self. Initially, it was just about protecting my children. My body was shaking with fear, and my voice was slightly breathless, but I approached our son’s principal and health teacher with my concerns about the sex education curriculum being taught in the middle school. The content was inconsistent with stated school priorities and compromised what my husband and I were teaching at home. Daring to Make a Difference If you’re a parent, you know that something changes A.K. — “after kids.” That God-given desire to nurture and protect our children can lead us more naturally, in spite of our timidity or fear, to trust God and be bold on their behalf. According to Merriam- Webster , boldness means “not being afraid of danger or difficult situations.” And why should we be afraid? God promises to be with us, holding us firmly so we don’t need to fear (Isa. 41:10). After that first call to boldness, God will stretch us again by compelling us to do something we’ve never done before, even something scary. When we obey, He shows up, and then the next time, He gives us a task slightly more intimidating, and He enables us again. The Hand of God After that first encounter with our son’s principal and health teacher, God orchestrated a miraculous series of events that made His hand so evident. First, a stranger contacted me and offered to pay for new sex education curriculum for my son’s school. Then, because of a “chance” conversation with someone in the county education system, I was invited to speak at the last minute to county school superintendents as they decided what services to provide the next school year. They agreed to offer Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) abstinence curriculum in their school districts if I could find funding. B Timid Mom Becomes Abstinence-Education Champion by Valerie (Dell) Huber ’80, M.Ed. ’10 16 | Cedarville Magazine