Page 5 - RiseUpWarrior

Preface: Why this book? Years ago, I was sitting on my bed, having a girly visit sion to speak into her life and help train her in some of with my sister Suki, when all-of-a-sudden I knew it was the important matters. They had her when I was 18, we TIME. My little sister Suki was in Jr High, and needed were 3 children raised together; Laura, Jon and I, and some training on what the real life is all about. It was then Suki came along just as the three of us were head- time for her to open her eyes to the real Christian world ing off to fgure out who we wanted to be. She was our around her and see exactly what was going on. It was little Suki, as though she had 5 parents to love on her, time she knew about the “double life” epidemic, and the and we all doted on her very much. realities of Christianity. It was time for me to tell her I would take her out to lunch or have her over for a full all about how girls hope for prince charming, and how craft day, beauty day, or whatever; and always be shar- they go about picking their husbands and then in many ing things about God and about my relationship with cases, later are terribly sorry about their choices. It was Him. time for her to know how to wait on God for the right husband, and that required a whole lot of motivation. Then my husband and I moved to Mexico as missionar- ies, and I couldn’t see her year-round anymore. So we It was time I was honest with her. set up a deal with our parents, and every year she would Now, I know that we are not to judge others. But in the come down and live with us for the summer, and I set privacy of my bedroom, sitting there having a deep con- in earnest to train her how to become a strong Christian versation with Suki, I started talking real to her about and a missionary someday. how to choose a husband. I couldn’t see any way around She ended up coming down 6 summers straight while it, but to use real names and real examples and talk to she worked her way through high school and Universi- her about what really went down. I must have given her ty. Then the miracle happened, and she chose to become 10 different examples of people she knows and people I a full-time missionary herself! She raised her support, knew, and then I shared with her my story. and moved down to live and work with us full-time. Her eyes just about popped out of her head, because she Praise God! had never really spoken about other people like that. So there we were, Suki and I having ourselves a little You know, we usually don’t talk about other people and girly visit, when God opened my eyes to the next step their mistakes. But, I could see no other way to get the for her; real slavery to God. I didn’t hesitate to share real point across. So I talked about REAL people and it with her, and we separated to pray, each to our own It was time I was rooms. All the while my husband was hiding out some- where, letting us have our girl time. honest with her. As I started to pray, God spoke to me very clearly, “Is Suki the ONLY one who will get this training?” There was a pause. Then God hit me with a big blow to my REAL mistakes or wins they had made. gut. “Will you write it all down for others?” Since then, I have had a special relationship with Suki, At frst I was intimidated, because mostly all I have where in real time, I could point out to her a diffcult written is Sunday school and VBS lessons, but I was decision that a friend of ours was facing. If they didn’t comforted that it must be similar. Fear, of course, was choose to lay something down to God, what it would next, “How will I ever remember all those stories and look like; and we could watch in real time as someone lessons God took me through?” failed or succeeded. God just smiled and said to me, “I’ll remind you.” You see, over the years, my parents gave me permis- And so, it is time for the children in your ministry to go 4