Next, God brought unlikely partners
together to help me form a nonprofit
organization and write a grant proposal. He
inexplicably gave me favor among county
policymakers, some who were not even
supportive of the SRA abstinence message.
Finally, God humbled us with the largest
grant in the state (at the time) to change
what would be taught to 25,000 students in
two counties in their sex education classes!
As God gave me each new opportunity,
my heart would race and my mouth would
become parched. But each time, God
reminded me He was there and gave favor
in those efforts.That realization was terribly
humbling. At that point, I thought God had
tasked me to help youth in our kids’ school
and in the other county schools. That was a
big enough job and one that reminded me
daily this was God’s work, not mine. That
realization made it easier to be bold.
A Statewide Platform
God continued to open doors. The first
time I testified before the state legislature regarding Ohio’s sex
education guidelines, I was humbled that God gave me just the right
words to say in response to questions from legislators. I learned an
important lesson that day. As Christians, we can be bold without
being obnoxious, and part of bringing light to darkness involves
the way we speak truth (2 Cor. 4:2, Matt. 5:16).
God then gave me a place of influence over SRA abstinence
education in the state when I was asked to apply for a position at the
Ohio Department of Health. The position provided guidance and
oversight for SRA programs serving more than 100,000 students in
the state. In that place of leadership, boldness was easy, right?Wrong!
The public nature of the job painted a target on my back for those
who loathed any program that might encourage young people to
restrain their sexual urges. At one event, I was assigned a bodyguard
because organizers feared for my safety. Looking back, though, I
see God was using this time to prepare me for my current position
as President of the National Abstinence Education Association
(NAEA). (Learn more at
theNAEA.org.)
National Influence
In my role at NAEA, I am
honored to nationally represent
SRA abstinence education
from our office in Washington,
D.C. God continues to take
me places that force me to
acknowledge my weaknesses
and His strength. I regularly
work with members of
Congress and national pro-
family groups, draft legislation and policy, meet
with key members of the Obama administration,
and debate the abstinence issue in the national
media.
It probably comes as no surprise that ours is
not a popular position in the current sexualized
culture. But God continues to give us favor in
some of the most unexpected places, reminding
us that boldness gives the opportunity to let our
light shine before men “that they may see your
good works and glorify your Father in heaven”
(Matt. 5:16).
Boldness is like a muscle that becomes
stronger as it is exercised. This is especially true
when God enables people to be bold, in spite
of themselves, and in spite of the fact that the
circumstance might be uncomfortable. Since
God has equipped us to be His image-bearers,
our boldness and courage should not be
paralyzed by the “what if ” (this bad outcome
happens); it should be compelled by the “even
if ” (trials come, God will be glorified). In the
midst of our obedience to this “courageous
boldness,” we are, after all, only to be faithful. It
is comforting to know that it is God, and not us,
who is responsible for the results.
Valerie (Dell) Huber
’80, M.Ed. ’10 serves as the
President of the National Abstinence Education
Association, a Washington, D.C.-based
professional association in support of abstinence
education. She received both her bachelor’s degree
and M.Ed. from Cedarville University. She was
honored as Cedarville’s Alumna of the Year in 2013.
For more information about Huber and her
undergraduate and graduate education at
Cedarville University, read “Learning to Change
the World” in the spring 2014 issue of
Cedarville
Magazine
at
Abstinence-education supporters visited Capitol Hill on April 3, 2014, during the NAEA-organized Abstinence Day on the Hill. Huber and others spoke
to members of Congress, advocating for the priority of sexual risk avoidance in federal sex education policy.
Cedarville Magazine
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