If the Lord has redeemed you - Speak out!

The weight of the mic is heavy. Not just the physical weight but the measure of which we can amplify our voice from it. I am reflecting on this weight as I prepare for another speaking event.

Proverbs 18:4 reminds us, “The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters, a flowing river, a fountain of wisdom.”

I sobered up 14 years ago. I remember the fear and anxiety that battled within as I rolled up the driveway of a local women’s recovery house. I was panicked. Worried that others would harshly judge me for my own inability to figure out how to live a normal life. There was a hidden fear of humanity beneath the shell of a woman. I didn’t know who I was supposed to be, what my purpose was—I didn’t even believe I had a purpose. I questioned God. I was skeptical of people. I was fighting to survive in a world of despair.

When I reflect over those first few years in sobriety, my words were not flowing waters. They were the muck and mire of processing a life of rebellion. Yet, I was brought into a space where people encouraged me to speak—to share what happened to bring me to this place, how I was processing through the hard moments, and where I could see myself going in the future. Amid those moments, I felt my spirit being recharged by the God of the Bible. As I meditated daily on His Scripture, I felt a renewed sense of self, of purpose, of opportunity for a future filled with hope.

The changes that have come as a result of holding firm to the course set ahead of me by my God have brought me to paths I never considered possible. In the moments of uncertainty, I have found strength in His name. As I stand in front of the rising generations, I am reminded that my life is meant to be a living sacrifice to the One who paid the price to save—not just me, but all of us.

The weight of the mic is heavy. If you would have offered this weight to that 21-year-old girl that showed up 14 years ago, she would have said no. She would have stayed silent. She needed to.

Today, when I step on stage and take that mic—I recognize the weight of it.

I am not here because of my own doing, I am here because of Christ. God has redeemed, restored and renewed the woman He intended me to be—I will speak out!

“Has the Lord redeemed you?—then speak out! Share of how he has redeemed you from your enemies.” —Psalm 107:2

Glory to God!

Melanie Beerda