The Final Frontier

Claire Black: This is True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms, and occasionally for dads, too! This season we’re learning how to be the kind of girls God designed us to be. We’re learning more about that one drive at a time. 

Buckle up! You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus. 

Dannah Gresh is going to help us do that. She and her husband, Bob, co-authored a book called 8 Great Dates for Dads and Daughters. At the end of the podcast, Bob will invite you and your dad to go on one of these dates. For complete instructions get a copy of 8 Great Dates for Dads and Daughters. 

Let’s get moving for season 2 episode 7, titled “The Final Frontier.ˆHere we go!

Staci Rudolph: You may notice that’s not our normal theme music. That’s because today, we’re trekking on up to the stars. Tap into your inner astronomy geek. I’m Staci Rudolph, the commander of the U.S.S. True Girl spaceship. 

Dannah Gresh: Awe, Staci, are you one of those Trekkies? 

Staci: Nah, I just know the power of having something to guide you, and the stars, well they can help you find your way. 

For example, thousands of years ago, the people who founded New Zealand were called the Moriori. They lived in Polynesia, which we know today as Hawaii. Now, New Zealand is over 4,000 miles away from Hawaii. Today, you could fly from one to the other using sophisticated instrumentation, and it would take about eight hours. But back then, it took a couple of months by sea. 

And do you know how they found their way? They followed the stars.

Dannah: Wow. I love that. Who else has followed the stars?

Staci: Well, going back even further, like several thousand years and to the Middle East, there were three ancient astrologers. We call them the Wise Men. They let one brilliant star lead them to find someone super special—baby Jesus.

Dannah: Awe, wow. That is amazing, Staci. Who else has followed the stars? 

Staci: Well, all of these people who followed the stars were pretty brave. Let me take you to some super courageous star gazers. To meet them, we have to go back to a sad time in American history. 

White slave owners owned black Americans as slaves. Many of those enslaved men and women wanted to live free, and God created them to live free. Some free people who lived in eastern Pennsylvania believed that, and so they started something called The Underground Railroad. It wasn’t underground at all, though. There was no train track. It was a super-secret system of special homes, farms, and churches organized to help runaway slaves find their way north to freedom.

Dannah: Oh, you know Staci, Bob and I actually stayed in one of those homes, just outside of Philadelphia. That grand, old home that sheltered brave men and women on their way to freedom. Well, today it’s a bed and breakfast, and it tells the story of The Underground Railroad.

I marveled when I sat in the rooms. I wondered, If these walls could talk, what stories of brave men and women would I hear?

Staci: Well, that home and others like it wasn’t that easy to find back then. Freedom seekers often traveled under the cover of night, so there was less risk of being seen.

How did these brave men and women and children find their way from home to farm to church? Well, they didn’t have access to a map or even a compass to guide them through the dark, so they followed the stars in the sky and the constellations. 

The “drinking gourd” was the constellation they used. Today, we call it the “big dipper.” It’s one of the easiest constellations to find. You’ve probably seen it. 

Dannah: Yeah. 

Staci: Well, it points to one of the brightest stars in the sky, the North Star. This star is unique and unlike any other star. It never changes position; it always points north. That special star guided brave men and women and sometimes children to free states. It took them from a life of enslavement to a life of freedom.

Dannah: And I’m glad it did. You know what I think, Staci? God was with those men and women and children who followed the star in the night to escape slavery. He was looking after them; He was protecting them on that scary journey.

Staci: Yeah, He was definitely with them, Dannah. And they just had to keep their eyes focused on the star. 

Dannah: You know, the stakes were really high, if they didn’t have that star to follow, they could end up going in the wrong direction and find themselves enslaved once again, and it might even be worse than before. 

And as you tell us about The Underground Railroad, I’m thinking about the fact that slavery is talked about in the Bible a lot. Sadly, it’s something we might always have on this broken planet, but a lot of times in the Bible it’s used to remind us that sin can be what enslaves us. 

Staci: Well, I know that’s true. I have definitely been that kind of slave. 

Dannah: Me, too. 

Staci: I remember in middle school; I was really enslaved to comparison. I just found myself looking around at all of the other girls. It affected the way I dressed, how I acted, the activities I did. I got lost and enslaved to my own decisions and plans and just bad behaviors. 

Dannah: You know, Staci, I can really identify with that, because in middle school I can remember comparing myself. One of the things I did to try to fit in was that I used the language that some of the other kids in my school used, and it wasn’t good language. It wasn’t holy language. It was an area of bondage and sin in my life. 

Now, thankfully there’s good news, we have a North Star to follow. Let me explain, Hebrews 12:1–2 reads,

Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”

Wow! When we fix our eyes on Jesus, spiritually, He is our North Star. We find our way again, and we find our way out of the bondage and the sin that slows down in this life.

Staci: Of course, it’d be better if we never became enslaved to sin. 

Time for today’s power verse, Proverbs 16:9 says, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”

My life is so much better when I keep my eyes on Jesus. When I have trusted God and remembered that He determines my steps, well I just gotta say, my life just goes smoother. I think about when I was first introduced to True Girl and how I came about. I was seeking God, I was seeking a devotional book. He just put the ministry of True Girl, Dannah Gresh right in front of me. He guided me directly to where I am today.

Dannah: I’m so thankful He did.

Staci: Awe, thank you. I got to travel on a tour bus and sing and worship and teach, and that was such an adventure. When I trust God to determine my life, I’m always going in a better direction. I have to remind myself to let Him guide me, to keep my eyes on Him. 

Dannah: Yeah. When I was about 10–12, I wanted to be a veterinarian in the worst kind of way, because I love, love, love, love animals. But God’s plan for me was to be a Bible teacher and an author. If I didn’t keep my eyes on Jesus and let Him determine my steps, I might never have started True Girl, and I might not be talking to you right now. 

But you know what’s really cool, Staci? 

Staci: What?

Dannah: The Lord still showed me that He saw my passion for animals, because today I live on a farm with my fur babies. Moose, the Labradoodle, Trig and Truett my horses, and of course my little fainting goats, especially Boohoo, he’s my sweet boy. 

God’s plan is better in every single way than mine would have been. We have to let Him be the North Star of our lives at all times. 

Hey, the Lord worked in Bob’s life in a pretty crazy way. Want to hear that story, Staci? 

Staci: Yeah. Bring it on, Bob.

Bob Gresh: Wow! I’m so happy we made it to the final frontier. 

Staci: The final what?

Bob: The final frontier, you know, from Star Trek? Oh boy, you really aren’t a Trekkie, are you?

Okay, listen to this . . .

Staci: Right. Okay Bob, let’s hear your story. I want to know what you wanted to be when you grew up. 

Bob: Well, I always wanted to be the President of the United States. 

Staci: Why am I not surprised by that at all?

Bob: Well, you may have figured this out already, but I am not the President of the United States of America, and I’m not seeing that in my near future . . . but you never know. I will say I had a hard time in school because of my ADD.

Dannah: Yeah, that’s Attention Deficit Disorder for those who are wondering. 

Bob: Yeah, right. Little did I know that God was actually leading me to start a school. I wasn’t a very good student. I didn’t really like school that much, but God led me to start a school that kids do like. I get a chance to really identify with kids who aren’t great students and some of them have ADD that I can really help. 

Dannah: But they have bright futures. It’s just not that it’s an academic future, so to speak. 

Bob: School is a different scoresheet. And so what’s funny is that now the ADD guy runs the school. The teachers work for me. 

Dannah: Yup.

Bob: And I think it's funnier than they do. But I would never have gotten here if I’d had not kept my eyes on Jesus, He is our . . .

Dannah: North Star.

Staci: North Star. 

Bob: North Star. 

Staci: That is crazy. God does some awesome things. 

Bob: Yeah, and without the Lord’s guidance, I would never have ended up in a school that I love and that I’m totally passionate about—Grace Prep. 

Dannah: The Lord is so good. Well, you might be sitting there saying, “I have no idea. I am ten years old, and I am just trying to get through my science course.” I get that; I totally get that. But right now you need to start letting Jesus be your true north for every decision you make—whether it’s trying out for the soccer team or learning to play the piano or whatever it is. Let Jesus be your true north, and He will direct you to a place where a few years from now you’ll be sitting here just like Staci and Bob and I are and saying, “Look where we are. This might not have been where I planned to go, but because the Lord ordered my steps and directed me, this is what I have become.” And I think you’re going to find that it’s thrilling. 

Okay, it’s time to get to our dad/daughter challenge of the day. It’s a fun one, right Bob?

Bob: It’s really fun. So, get your astronomy geek on, because you’re going stargazing, not in Hollywood, but in your backyard. I challenge you to find the North Star. Now, you may find the big dipper (or whatever you guys called it, the drinking gourd). But you will see how that big dipper points to the north star. 

You can also download an app that shows you all the constellations in the sky. You’ll be blown away. 

Staci: That sounds pretty cool. Guys, while you’re looking at the stars, share some stories, chat it up. Dad, what did you want to be when you grew up? How did you get to where you are now? What role did Jesus play as you kept your eyes on Him?

Dannah: And true girl, what do you want to be when you grow up? Talk about that. God cares about your desires, just like He cared about my desire to be a veterinarian. You know what I’ve decided? I don’t want to take care of sick animals. I want to take care of healthy animals who are my friends. God saw my desire, and He knew that it would be better for me to have a little hobby farm. 

Staci: Hey, Dannah?

Dannah: What?

Staci: I bet you one of these true girls is going to space someday. 

Dannah: Oh, I hope so, Staci, that would be so cool. Well, true girl and Bob, to infinity and beyond. 

Claire: Well, true girl, I sure hope you let Jesus be your North Star wherever you go. Keep your eyes on Him. Sometime soon head out into the night sky with your dad or another father figure and find the North Star.

Remember, these father/daughter challenges are really just conversation starters. They symbolize something we want to remember. In this case, Jesus is your North Star. Bob and Dannah will help you make your night of stargazing even more special. They’ll give you more ideas in their book 8 Great Dates for Dads and Daughters. You can learn more about it at MyTrueGirl.com. 

There are also a lot of other great resources there to help you fix your eyes on Jesus. Like our online Bible studies. Those are just for the girls, so you and your mom could sign up for one. Again, it’s all at MyTrueGirl.com.

Next time, we’ll talk about dressing for success. 

True Girl is produced in partnership with Revive Our Hearts reminding women and girls of all ages to keep their eyes on Jesus. 

All Scripture is taken from the NLT.

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