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
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Cedarville Magazine
