#16 Bible Study with Lauren

The summer after my senior year I was invited to go to a park one afternoon with Amy, a high school friend named named Katie and the wife of one of our Young Life leaders, Lauren.  I didn't really know Lauren that well at the time.  She had been my cabin leader at Young Life's Fall weekend that year but I didn't really know her all that well.  I honestly wasn't even sure why I was being invited to go, but I'm always game for a fun outing and we were getting ice cream so I went.  I'm so glad I did because that day was the beginning of one the greatest discipleship relationships I've had in my life thus far.

At first that day we just ate ice cream and got to know each other a little better, and I believe Lauren shared parts of her testimony with us.  Then we were sitting down at this picnic table and I remember Lauren asked us if we'd like to start doing a Bible Study with her.  I was taken back a little because I wasn't really expecting her to ask us that but I was about to start college and I was too old for almost all the Bible study groups I had been a part of in high school so I agreed to go.

I grew so much in my faith during those three years of Bible study.  I didn't really know hardly anything about Lauren before that day at the park, but I soon came to learn that she was an amazing, wise, Godly woman.  She knew her Bible so well and always had such insightful questions and challenged us to be real and honest.  To this day I still remember things she brought to my attention about God and the Word through that Bible study. For years after the study Amy and I would be talking about something and we'd say "remember when Lauren taught us this..." or "I was trying to figure out what to do and I remember Lauren always saying that God says...."   One specific truth I remember her challenging me with was the importance of bringing the truth to the "light"  and not hidden because God is light and in him there is no darkness. It's funny that I remember that because I'm sad to admit that the specific issue in my life that she was challenging me about I never did bring to the light.  I struggled for a long time after the fact whether I made the right or wrong decision but while I know it is too late for that decision to be remade that truth she brought to my attention has always stayed with me and to this day I try to always apply it when a tough situation comes up.  She also had great expressions that I had never heard before. I thought some of them were kind of quirky at the time but I still remember them with fondness to this day.  When we prayed she'd ask us if we want to go around the horn (everybody pray), or ask who wants to dial?  I also remember she prayed with her eyes open and when she prayed it always sounded like she was having a conversation with God. It made me feel like He was sitting right in the room with us.

We did some great Bible studies.  She introduced me to Kay Arthur and while I don't like all of Kay's study methods of coloring in your Bible, she is an AMAZING teacher and I learned so much in those studies.  I specifically remember my eyes really being opened in the one about Spiritual Warfare.  

Another thing I loved about Lauren is that she was always so open with us about what was going on in her life and her struggles.  For me to really trust someone I have to know that they trust me as well.  So I was always impressed that she would share openly with us about her life, her past, her marriage, family and all kinds of things.  I remember when she and her husband were trying to decide whether or not try to get pregnant with her fourth child, she was so open about her desires and her concerns.  She allowed us to pray with her and encourage her and it was such a joy to get to see her have her beautiful daughter Elizabeth the next year.

Lauren was also so dillegent about praying for us and following up when we had a prayer request. She did not let us get off the hook when she knew we were struggling with something or someone. She challenged us with the Word in a very loving way. She was a great accountability partner.

Lauren, I don't know if you are reading this or not but if you are I just want you to know how much that time with you meant to me and that it has forever impacted my life and most importantly my relationship with Christ.  As I look back on my life I can see that during those few years I grew tremendously in my walk with Christ and I know God used you in a big way to help that happen.  I know we haven't stayed in touch very well but I just want you to know that  I love you very much and I am so thankful that God put you in my life. Thank you for your faithfulness in meeting with us during that time and allowing God to use you to help me grow stronger in my faith and my knowledge and understanding of the Word.