Saved on the Side of the Highway

One of my good friends walked up to me after grabbing her coffee at the Starbucks pick up counter and exclaimed, "I think that barista is a Christian!” I replied,” What makes you say that?” My friend grinned and said,” Well we chatted for a second and then the barista said ‘Well, God is good!’ with such a joy in her heart. It felt like I was talking with a Christian.” I curiously leaned forward and looked to see behind the counter, and sure enough, there was my friend Bri. I was not surprised. Bri is the type of girl who has that Christian joy that can’t really be explained - except by the goodness of God. I would like to share her story, I think a lot of people can be inspired by her faith and love for God! So, without further adieu, here is what I collected from my wonderful interview with Bri Gates.

While Bri was growing up, her family did many of the things that Christians would do. Her dad was on the worship team, her mom was often involved in the kids ministry, and Bri and her two brothers went with their parents to church every Sunday. The Gates family lived on about a half an acre of land in the suburbs. Bri remembers having fun adventures and getting into trouble with her brothers while they were growing up. But one day, when Bri was just 6 years old, her entire perspective on life changed.

While Bri was driving somewhere with her mom, they were listening to a pastor give a sermon about what it meant to be a Christian. Bri began to listen to what this pastor was saying and cried out to her mom,” Mom, I want that.” Her mom pulled over to the side of the road and Bri accepted Jesus Christ into her heart as her Savior. At just age 6, Bri realized that she needed Jesus. She needed something not of this world to save her but the indescribable power of God. (go to the gospel tab for more information about the gospel). Bri became a Christian on the side of the highway that day!

Now, if you are a Christian, you know that life doesn’t necessarily get easier once you accept Christ, but it becomes full of purpose, joy, and also difficult trials. As Bri was growing up she and her mom bonded over the Bible and theological books. She was homeschooled with her 2 brothers in their suburban house. She said she loved homeschooling, but she became very anxious as she got older. Here is what Bri said about her experiences with anxiety,“ I was a pretty nerdy kid, I didn’t exactly fit in with everyone else. I liked ridiculous puns and nerdy jokes that were like 10 years old. I looked at my best friend who fit in with everyone else and I just accepted that I was an outsider.” But, when Bri entered a high school program, she met other unique kids who had felt the same way that she did. She was also in a discipleship group where girls began opening up about how they had felt that way too. “I realized that other people in the world felt the same as me and I finally gave my anxiety over to God. I kinda wish I had done that sooner because I started talking to more people and became really relational. I was becoming more focused on others.” She said that she held onto Psalm 46 which speaks to fear. She very humbly said,” Specifically, anxiety feels like a world ending problem. But Psalm 46 talks about mountains trembling and oceans surging, but it says that God is the refuge. This is the God that we can hope in. If God can handle things like that, how much more will He help me with my small problems?” As I listened, I was encouraged by everything Bri was saying to me, but as I was being encouraged, she stopped, giggled, and said,” Sorry, I am just watching my dog chew on rocks!” That is Bri, she will make you smile.

For some more insight, I asked Bri to list some role models in her life. She said first and foremost one role model would have to be her mom. Their lives were intertwined and Bri said,”I would not be who I am today without my mom.” Secondly, Bri chose a woman by the name of Gladys Aylward who went to be a missionary in China in the early 1900s. Bri passionately explained,”She boldly went. She was a girl from England. She went to China as a missionary. She went without knowing where she was going. She went looking to be the assistant to a woman there (a woman who didn’t stay in one place) and had to search for her in China.” Her third role model is her current discipleship leader Kara Hershenow. Bri described Kara as having such a willingness to sacrifice herself for others (friends, husband, coworkers, students) while still stewarding her own life well. I enjoyed listening to her describe these women and get so excited about what she has learned from them.

On a lighter note, I got to know a little bit more about Bri’s firecracker personality with some fun questions. Bri really enjoys pictures of shaved cats, she explained,” Yeah, all of my phone contact pictures are actually pictures of shaved cats!” Wow, I mean hey, whatever makes you smile! She still enjoys nerdy jokes and puns on a daily basis and will chat about that with anyone willing. She also grew up reading and loves reading fantasy novels (currently reading The Way of Kings). And last but not least, she loves hanging out with people and playing games (Secret Hitler and Signs of course)! There are lots of fun sides to Bri, I think the answers to these questions say it all!

As Bri’s friend, I can say that she is one of the kindest people I have ever met. She is encouraging, and I am inspired by the way she lives her life. I remember a time she said she needed to read her Bible, and so I went and read my own Bible. People’s stories are very important. God made us to connect with one another and learn from one another as it says in Hebrews 10:25,”Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Let us go and not only love our neighbors, but learn from them as well!