Renewal is one of the great promises that the gospel message offers. It matters little who you were before you met Jesus; when you do, you will become new. Life in Christ may not necessarily be a “do-over”, but it’s a fresh start according to 1st Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17.
This promise not only liberates us from the accusations of the enemy but also gives us hope to press forward in faith. This is true even for persons who have previously enjoyed success in this life. Persons who considered themselves as being “good”. Who Tried their best to follow the rules and do what made their overseers (parents, teachers, church leaders or bosses) happy. Our guest for this edition of Living ‘N’ Telling knows a thing or two about this and it is my pleasure to share her story with you.
Her name is Lois Bothwick, formerly Lois Clouse. She was born and raised on a small crop farm in New Riegel, Ohio – a small town in northwest Ohio in the USA.
She was raised in a large nuclear family where she was the 6th born of nine (9) children. Lois described her early years as being very playful, humble, religious, and broken.
“Overall, my earliest years were fairly happy just being a kid, playing with my siblings. I loved school, loved the routine, and loved to learn new things.
My life revolved around my family, my school, and our church.
My Dad worked hard for us, but he had a drinking problem and later we realized was bipolar. He at times was very mean and abusive to my mom and us kids so that left me with a lot of hurts, insecurities and fears which have taken me years to heal from.”
Lois was a high achiever at school. Going to school was sort of her “sweet spot”. It was the place where she found most serenity as there was brokenness in her home resulting from her father’s chronic drinking problem and bipolar depression.
After completing High school, Lois pursued tertiary studies at Ohio State University where she studied foreign languages. She was desirous of joining the Peace Corps or Catholic missions so she could help people in foreign nations. However, what she encountered was far greater and more fulfilling than any other plan she had for her life. In her freshmen year in college, Lois accepted Jesus as her personal Savior and Lord. She was led to faith by a staff member with Campus Crusade for Christ.
“I became a believer in Spring 1986 as a freshman in college – I grew up going to church and it was an integral part of my family life, but somehow missed the message of the true gospel. What was presented was more about me being a good person and following all the rules. Jesus + my works and good deeds would save. I had no assurance that if I died that I would go to heaven and feared doing bad things because God might send me to hell.”
Her decision to accept Christ, however, wasn't without its hesitations. She was raised in a Catholic background. Hence, she believed she was already a Christian and admitted that it did require someone from a similar background to help her to come to accept the Gospel message.
“I had a definite spiritual interest and when I went to college at the Ohio State University, I communicated some interest in a Bible study. The first person who came and talked to me was very nice but because she wasn’t from the same church background as me, I politely declined. The second person who came and talked to me was raised in a Catholic background and I was willing to listen to and trust her. She used a booklet called “Have you Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?”. That was the first time the gospel was presented to me and began to make some sense. The studies emphasized that it is not our works that save us, but it is Jesus’ work on the cross and I needed to put my trust in Him and not my religious experience. I told her that I thought I was already a Christian but as we began to meet to study the Bible together, I began to realize that I had never really put my trust in Christ for the forgiveness of my sins."
Thirty-six (36) years later, Lois Borthwick continues to enjoy the fruit of this decision. She is currently a Full-time worker with Bridges International, a non-profit Christian organization that seeks to meet the needs of international students: social, service, spiritual and student leadership. She is also the wife of Kendall Borthwick and has two daughters, Kathryn, and Rebekah Borthwick.
God honored Lois’ desire to meet the needs of individuals from countries around the world. He demonstrated His love by blessing her with a family whom she loves and an occupation that she greatly enjoys. Her journey with the Lord, however, has not always been smooth sailing. “The hardest part of my journey was letting go of the control and trusting God to truly lead and direct my life. Believing deep down that He loves me, has my best interest at heart. Because of my dad, I have had to overcome a lot of lies that I believed about myself, about God and about how I think this life should or should not work.
I am a perfectionist at heart and have been raised by a stern father and in a stern works-based church. It's like I lived my life very tight-fisted, and my journey has been God having to peel back one finger at a time. it has been quite a process to believe that it is not my works or efforts that save me but that it is truly only the immense love, grace, and mercy of Jesus Christ.” Lois believes that the greatest distance in the world is from the mind to the heart. Having literary knowledge about God’s love differs from experiencing and being transformed by it.
God was repairing Lois’ heart piece by piece. She had to learn to be patient through the “pruning”. Lois believes that God’s goal is to give us love that we have never experienced before. “God is real, and He loves you more than you will ever know!!!!! He is good. He is kind. He is for you and not against you. He sent Jesus to die for you and He can change you from the inside out. He wants you to know Him, seek Him, and trust Him. He is so intimate. He truly has your best interest at heart and is trying to restore you to who He created you to be. Everything that He requires of us is because He is good and wants the very best for our lives. His rules and commands are not “do this or else go to hell” but “do this and live”.
He wants us to have abundant life, a life overflowing with His abundant love, grace, mercy, and goodness. He is good and can be trusted” Lois’ desire for excellence and high achievement saw her meet an excellent and remarkable God. Her desire for compassion and love from her earthly father led her to the Eternal Father, who continues to show her compassion and love.
As she continues to stand in the gap for many international students across the globe. I pray that her love, desire for excellence, and compassion, will continue to meet their social and spiritual needs.
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