honestly, i haven't read her books or even thought of Ann Kiemel Anderson in years...
but this afternoon, when i read a friend's post on fb that she has gone to Heaven...my mind was flooded with memories of her writings and of listening to her on Christian radio in my college days...
Ann's words and her life impacted me a lot when i was so young....when i had no idea of all life would hold for me...truthfully, i was a lot more hopeful then and full of ideas....and her hopefulness rang true for me. It was an authentic hopefulness...based in her understanding of love and loss and grace through it all....
i can see that now, these "many" years later...
i' ve learned that her own story turned out differently then she would have hoped...
Yet her words still ring true to me....and my heart still says "Yes"...
excerpts from "YES", Ann Kiemel 1978:
when things i once thought were gain,
i now count as loss.
i have put aside all else, counting it worth
less than nothing, in order that
i can have Christ. . .
and become one with Him. . .
i don't mean to say i am perfect. i haven't
learned all i should even yet,
but i keep working toward that day
when i will be all that Christ saved me for
and wants me to be.
no. . . i am still not all i should be
but i am bringing all my energies to bear
on this one thing:
forgetting the past
looking forward to what lies ahead,
i strain to reach the end of the race
and receive the prize. . . philippians 3:7, 12, 13
this is my spiritual autobiography. i want to allow
myself to be vulnerable. i want to be brave. i want
to say to you, in specific, genuine illustrations:
i am human.
i fail. struggle. get scared. have hurts. am lonely.
but. . .
i am standing with my face to the sunrise. my back
against the wind. my head high. my heart
sturdy and strong. i am committed. i am
truly whole. Jesus Christ is the highest
Fulfillment and Joy in life.
i want this book to be, to the glory of Jesus Christ,
my "will and testament," my statement
of the power of Christ in one, everyday,
ordinary young life
YES
to tomorrow.
fresh dreams.
higher mountains.
greater impossibilities.
wider sunrises.
stouter courage.
braver risks.
YES
i'm human.
i fail. . . feel insecure. . .cry.
i hurt, struggle.
get scared.
know inadequacy.
i'm single. a woman.
i long for a man.
i am tempted.
YES
sometimes, i forget Who has led me
to where i am.
forget that i am a servant and
not a hero.
forget that "if we lose our life, we will find it."
that those who seek will find.
YES
to the Cross.
to obedience. . .honesty. . .
reality. . .earnest heart.
to joy and sorrow.
ease and difficulty.
success and failure.
to forgiving.
to saying things that edify.
YES
because Jesus is the divine Yes.
because He changes everything.
He is my highest Fulfillment.
He's made me whole. . .
takes the bad and turns it to good.
He is my Song. . .
my Reason to live.
for to me, to live is Christ.
