What Will Be Your Story of 2015?

     There is something so refreshing about a new year.  I love to reflect on the past year and reflect on what I will accomplish in the new year.  This time last year I really thought a lot about what I wanted to do, and what I hadn’t made time for in my life.  I guess you could say I was beginning to create my “bucket list” of trips to make and people to visit.  One thing really stuck out to me, and that was to make a visit to a truly special friend.  And guess what!  I made it happen and it truly is one of my favorite memories of 2014. 

     Miss Jenny is one special woman that I will always look up to in my life.  She was my Children’s Minister who baptized me on Father’s Day on June 21, 1998 at Northside Christian Church.  She taught me what it meant to be selfless and to love the Lord with all my heart.  I remember her always running around on Sundays hugging the kids that may have had runny noses, or just painted with finger paint, but she did not care how “dirty” it may make her to show love in that moment with a simple hug.  She always had her tennis shoes on ready to go wherever she was needed.  I wanted to become her so badly.

     I was devastated when I learned she was moving from Virginia to Indiana.  Yes, it was good for her to move closer to her family, and I was being selfish.  One of the most important women in my life was going to now be about ten hours from me. 

     So as time passed… I would see Jenny for occasional visits at Church.  I remember one visit in particular.  She visited Northside one Sunday and we talked about my future for just a few minutes.  That’s when I told her I was studying to be a public school teacher.  I got a lot of disappointing responses when I would tell many people of my career goals such as “good luck with that,” “I would never do that,” “you are brave,” “don’t do it,” but Jenny spoke words I will never forget.  She told me how happy she was that I wanted to teach in public schools, because that is where I was needed the most.  Jenny went on to share that public schools are where I could make a difference and touch lives, and that it was the perfect place for me.  That is what I needed to hear so badly and I needed to hear it from Miss Jenny.

     So time passed and I got mad because Jenny, who always put others before herself and sought after the Lord with all her heart, got cancer.  Not just once, but twice.  It was just not fair.  Not at all.  This was Miss Jenny who taught me everything at Church, and this just could not be happening.  This was the Miss Jenny who put everyone in front of herself.  I cried A LOT. 

     So in January of 2014 I decided that I really needed to tell Miss Jenny in-person how much she meant to me.  I would show this to her by flying to visit her and stay with her for a week doing whatever she needed.  If that meant to clean, then great!  If that meant to laugh and cry, then great!  I just needed Jenny to know that she has truly impacted my life and taught me what it means to give your life to God. 

     So in July of 2014 I went and hung out with Jenny for about a week.  I cried as she shared her amazing video of her experience with cancer, we laughed as we shopped, and we recalled great memories of Northside over dinner, like how the water wasn’t heated for my baptism, and how it was ice cold as I vividly remember!  It was as if not a day had passed.  I played with her precious daughter, Abbie Rose, hung out with Zi and her husband, Matt, and met Luke the day I was leaving since he was at Church camp that week.

Oh, and I may have gotten to ride on the Indy Speedway with Jenny,
and her brother who works there!  

     As I left Jenny the last day there were two really neat things that occurred.  We picked up Luke at Church Camp and witnessed baptisms together.  I stood by the woman who baptized me and little did I know, would become an even bigger inspiration to me through her trials of cancer.  Then as we said goodbye to her family to head off to the airport, Abbie Rose asked me to catch her as she fell back.  This is the “trust fall” that I was so scared to do with Jenny when we met to discuss my decision to be baptized.  Trust.  That is what Jenny has taught me most recently.  No matter what obstacle you are facing, God is always there, ALWAYS, and you must always trust Him.  God couldn’t have given me a better memory to leave Jenny with on our visit.

     Since my visit, Jenny found out cancer is back for the third time.  I know… I still don’t get it.  But I knew I wasn’t finished with showing Jenny how much she means to myself and many others.  So I started a fundraising campaign where people could purchase “I Bleed Pink for Jenny” shirts and Jenny would get the profits.  I was doubtful of how successful it was…silly me to doubt God’s power…. The t-shirt I designed, raised $568.47 for Jenny and her family! God is awesome.   

Front of the Shirt

Back of the Shirt

     So that is my “headline story” of 2014.  I am not sure what my “headline story” of 2015 will be yet, but I am getting excited about the possibilities!

     As I look forward to planning another trip to visit Jenny and her family this summer, I leave you with this, what is on your “bucket list” and what will you knock off of that list this year?  Do you really believe you can make a difference in someone’s life this year?  I sure hope so! 

In Him,

Sarah Young

Head Mentor, 2014-2015

Sigma Alpha Omega National Board of Trustees