Be The Light – By Olivia Roemer (My Daughter)

Due to working a 40+ hour a week job (which I’m VERY thankful for) and Pastoring a church full-time, as well as a few other ventures that I’m involved in, I don’t get to post as often as I would like.  However, as I was going through some old emails, I came across this gem that my “lil killa” as I call her, wrote back in 2017.  A couple of weeks ago, there was an urgent need in our church to teach and mentor our students…well, needless to say, Olivia stepped up and diligently prepares every week to present the word of God to a handful of students…as a student.  Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that she also runs a YouTube channel (click here) and posts EVERY Sunday, and would love for you to subscribe to her channel and like her posts! 

I​ ​lived​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​place​ ​in​ ​Illinois,​ ​for​ ​my​ ​whole​ ​life.​ ​Everything​ ​and​ ​everyone​ ​I​ ​knew was​ ​there.​ ​Every​ ​Sunday,​ ​and​ ​Wednesday,​ ​I​ ​could​ ​count​ ​on​ ​seeing​ ​my​ ​best​ ​friends, and​ ​have​ ​a​ ​blast​ ​with​ ​them.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​top​ ​of​ ​my​ ​class,​ ​playing​ ​volleyball,​ ​and​ ​totally​ ​involved in​ ​church.​ ​But​ ​then​ ​everything​ ​changed.

My​ ​dad​ ​and​ ​our​ ​family​ ​were​ ​called​ ​to​ ​pastor​ ​a​ ​small​ ​church​ ​in​ ​Campbellsburg, Kentucky,​ ​six​ ​hours​ ​away​ ​from​ ​my​ ​entire​ ​life.​ ​Before​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​it,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​in​ ​Kentucky​ ​with​ ​no friends,​ ​no​ ​school,​ ​and​ ​no​ ​direction.​ ​I​ ​hated​ ​my​ ​life,​ ​all​ ​I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​do​ ​was​ ​get​ ​out​ ​of Kentucky.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​completely​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​go​ ​live​ ​with​ ​my​ ​friends​ ​six​ ​hours​ ​away​ ​from​ ​my family,​ ​just​ ​so​ ​I​ ​wouldn’t​ ​have​ ​to​ ​suffer.​ ​It​ ​seemed​ ​like​ ​it​ ​couldn’t​ ​get​ ​any​ ​worse,​ ​but​ ​then my​ ​dad​ ​got​ ​really​ ​sick.

A​ ​week​ ​before​ ​Christmas,​ ​I​ ​watched​ ​my​ ​dad​ ​collapse​ ​in​ ​a​ ​Subway,​ ​and​ ​have​ ​two seizures​ ​right​ ​in​ ​front​ ​of​ ​me​ ​in​ ​a​ ​span​ ​of​ ​two​ ​days.​ ​I​ ​had​ ​no​ ​idea​ ​what​ ​to​ ​do,​ ​we​ ​were​ ​in Texas​ ​visiting​ ​family​ ​for​ ​the​ ​holidays,​ ​and​ ​anyone​ ​I​ ​would​ ​want​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​to​ ​was​ ​all​ ​the​ ​way in​ ​Illinois.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​lost,​ ​hopeless,​ ​and​ ​letting​ ​the​ ​darkness​ ​take​ ​over.​ ​My​ ​father​ ​eventually went​ ​into​ ​a​ ​coma,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​didn’t​ ​get​ ​to​ ​spend​ ​New​ ​Year’s​ ​with​ ​my​ ​mom​ ​or​ ​dad.

All​ ​I​ ​could​ ​think​ ​of​ ​is​ ​why?​ ​Why​ ​did​ ​God​ ​do​ ​this​ ​to​ ​me?​ ​Why​ ​did​ ​God​ ​put​ ​us​ ​in​ ​Kentucky, and​ ​my​ ​dad​ ​get​ ​sick?​ ​What​ ​could​ ​I​ ​have​ ​possibly​ ​done​ ​to​ ​deserve​ ​all​ ​of​ ​this​ ​darkness?​ ​I thought​ ​I​ ​would​ ​never​ ​recover,​ ​I​ ​never​ ​thought​ ​that​ ​I​ ​would​ ​ever​ ​be​ ​the​ ​same.​ ​I​ ​had​ ​no idea​ ​if​ ​I​ ​would​ ​ever​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​to​ ​my​ ​dad​ ​again.

But​ ​God​ ​always​ ​works​ ​things​ ​out.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​darkest​ ​time​ ​of​ ​my​ ​14​ ​years​ ​of​ ​life,​ ​God​ ​showed his​ ​love​ ​to​ ​me​ ​like​ ​a​ ​rainbow​ ​after​ ​the​ ​rain.

Due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​circumstances,​ ​we​ ​had​ ​missed​ ​a​ ​good​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​school​ ​and​ ​was​ ​learning​ ​in a​ ​very​ ​bad​ ​environment.​ ​Yet​ ​during​ ​my​ ​father’s​ ​stay​ ​in​ ​the​ ​hospital,​ ​my​ ​grandmother came​ ​across​ ​something​ ​that​ ​would​ ​literally​ ​change​ ​all​ ​of​ ​our​ ​lives.​ ​The​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​go to​ ​the​ ​best​ ​private​ ​school​ ​in​ ​Kentucky​ ​was​ ​right​ ​at​ ​my​ ​fingertips,​ ​all​ ​because​ ​of​ ​this​ ​dark and​ ​horrid​ ​situation.​ ​The​ ​only​ ​way​ ​I​ ​would​ ​have​ ​been​ ​able​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​this​ ​school​ ​was​ ​if​ ​I got​ ​a​ ​complete​ ​scholarship,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​full​ ​miracle​ ​took​ ​place.​ ​I​ ​wrote​ ​an​ ​essay​ ​about​ ​what​ ​I had​ ​been​ ​through,​ ​and​ ​how​ ​it​ ​changed​ ​me​ ​and​ ​my​ ​future.

Because​ ​of​ ​the​ ​situation​ ​I​ ​was​ ​put​ ​in,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​darkness​ ​I​ ​was​ ​faced​ ​with,​ ​the​ ​light​ ​of​ ​God shined​ ​into​ ​my​ ​life.​ ​I​ ​now​ ​go​ ​to​ ​the​ ​best​ ​private​ ​school​ ​in​ ​Kentucky,​ ​all​ ​because​ ​of​ ​what God​ ​has​ ​done​ ​for​ ​me.

After​ ​I​ ​got​ ​to​ ​experience​ ​the​ ​school,​ ​I​ ​started​ ​to​ ​think​ ​about​ ​what​ ​the​ ​Lord​ ​has​ ​done​ ​for me,​ ​and​ ​what​ ​I​ ​could​ ​do​ ​to​ ​show​ ​that​ ​love​ ​towards​ ​others.​ ​So​ ​that’s​ ​what​ ​I​ ​did,​ ​I​ ​tried​ ​to be​ ​the​ ​light​ ​that​ ​I​ ​was​ ​shown​ ​wherever​ ​I​ ​went.​ ​The​ ​Lord​ ​blessed​ ​me​ ​with​ ​the​ ​chance​ ​of a​ ​lifetime,​ ​the​ ​least​ ​I​ ​can​ ​do​ ​is​ ​reflect​ ​that​ ​light​ ​in​ ​a​ ​lost​ ​and​ ​dying​ ​world,​ ​right?​ ​So whenever​ ​I​ ​go​ ​to​ ​school​ ​I​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​dress​ ​different,​ ​talk​ ​different,​ ​and​ ​treat​ ​people different​ ​from​ ​everyone​ ​else.​ ​God​ ​is​ ​literally​ ​living​ ​in​ ​me,​ ​His​ ​light​ ​is​ ​inside​ ​of​ ​my​ ​heart, so​ ​everywhere​ ​I​ ​go​ ​I​ ​am​ ​going​ ​to​ ​reflect​ ​that!

As​ ​time​ ​went​ ​has​ ​passed,​ ​I​ ​realized​ ​I​ ​was​ ​becoming​ ​happier.​ ​With​ ​me​ ​giving compliments​ ​to​ ​random​ ​people,​ ​and​ ​letting​ ​people​ ​know​ ​I​ ​am​ ​there​ ​for​ ​them,​ ​and​ ​being as​ ​Christ​ ​like​ ​as​ ​I​ ​possibly​ ​can,​ ​I​ ​experienced​ ​what​ ​it​ ​really​ ​means​ ​to​ ​be​ ​happy.​ ​All​ ​I want​ ​to​ ​do​ ​is​ ​be​ ​the​ ​light​ ​that​ ​God​ ​has​ ​shown​ ​me.

This​ ​world​ ​is​ ​scary,​ ​and​ ​dark,​ ​and​ ​hopeless.​ ​But​ ​I​ ​know​ ​a​ ​God​ ​who​ ​created​ ​light​ ​with four​ ​words,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​know​ ​that​ ​through​ ​him​ ​I​ ​can​ ​be​ ​the​ ​light.

“This​ ​is​ ​the​ ​only​ ​world​ ​we​ ​know​ ​and​ ​for​ ​now​ ​this​ ​rental’s​ ​our​ ​home​ ​if​ ​we​ ​gonna​ ​be​ ​a reflection​ ​gotta​ ​make​ ​this​ ​third​ ​rock​ ​glow”-​ ​Toby​ ​Mac​ ​Light​ ​Shine​ ​Bright