Editor\u2019s note: Debbie Blue shared her faith journey with members of the Executive Board of the Evangelical Covenant Church during its meeting Sunday in Chicago.<\/em>
\n
\nDebbie Blue began life in the public housing projects on the west side of Chicago, a journey that would take her through wrenching experiences of racial prejudice and discrimination, confrontation with her own spiritual perspective, healing, and a redirection in life that ultimately would lead her to a position as the candidate to direct the newly formed Department of Compassion, Mercy and Justice for the Covenant.<\/p>\nIt was a number of years ago, while she was a student at North Park Theological Seminary, participating in a spiritual retreat writing assignment, that she revisited her painful past and discovered something interesting about the ways in which her early life experiences had helped shape her to become the person she is today.<\/p>\n
She recalled completing kindergarten while living in the projects, but the family moved just as she was entering the first grade. In writing of that experience, Debbie penned these words: \u201cWe moved from a black community to a white neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did I differentiate between community and neighborhood?\u201d she found herself asking. She recalled moving into the new neighborhood and hearing for the first time the term \u201cblock buster,\u201d a derogatory term referring to African American families who would move into a white neighborhood, often sparking \u201cwhite flight\u201d as residents would quickly begin leaving the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved that part of my life in the projects,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was a place where I was accepted for who I am. Then, I began the journey to a place where I was made to feel I didn\u2019t belong. Thus began my painful journey as an African American in a white world.\u201d<\/p>\n
The family found a Baptist church on the south side and began attending regularly. She was baptized at age eight \u2013 \u201cI loved it (the church) \u2013 I could affiliate and participate.\u201d It was in her teen years she began to see the hypocrisy \u2013 \u201cthey told me how to live as a Christian, but I didn\u2019t see it lived out.\u201d At age 18 she figured she was an adult and could leave the church \u2013 and she did.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found myself always trying to fit in \u2013 I didn\u2019t want to be noticed,\u201d she says. \u201cI thought if I\u2019m quiet \u2013 if I color within the lines \u2013 maybe no one will notice me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember the Dick and Jane readers?\u201d she asked, recalling the reading booklets that were then popular with young elementary school children who were just learning to read. \u201cThere was nothing in there I could identify with \u2013 and other students could not identify with me in those stories. Then, the teacher moved into the Sambo and Tar Baby stories \u2013 and the other students could see me in those stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
She began to realize that society\u2019s standard \u2013 good education, a degree \u2013 \u201cwas something I was not supposed to achieve. But, I wanted to succeed. I began to learn that who I am wasn\u2019t accepted in the world in which I was living.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moving into her adult years, she married and had a family. \u201cI felt a responsibility as a parent to help my kids know who God was \u2013 but, I wasn\u2019t sure that I knew who God is. I tried to discover that on my own, but without success.\u201d<\/p>\n
She returned to the old church of her youth, but realized that her needs and that of the family were not being met. Following the breakup of her marriage, she moved to a new community, living life as a single parent. She and her mother bought a house together \u2013 in a white community. \u201cWe moved in, and overnight everyone left,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI wondered why no one wanted to live near us . . . we have a wonderful family.\u201d<\/p>\n
The family began the search for a church in the new community, visiting several before deciding to try one almost out of desperation. It was late on a Sunday morning, and as they drove into the parking lot, Debbie noticed the pastor\u2019s name on the church sign \u2013 it didn\u2019t look very African American – and she thought they were once again wasting their time.<\/p>\n
When they walked in, there were a dozen people sitting in the front of the church, all on one side. \u201cWe arrived late, so we sat in the back pew,\u201d she recalls. The pastor nodded to acknowledge them. \u201cBut when the people turned and saw us, they stood, came back, and embraced us and welcomed us \u2013 they showed the love of God.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was in 1980 at Community Covenant Church in Calumet Park, which remains her home church today. \u201cWe had never heard of it (the Covenant) before. They not only welcomed us, they helped get the kids to Sunday school and youth activities. I knew something must be different.\u201d<\/p>\n
She attended 12 years before having the opportunity to participate in her first Covenant Annual Meeting, where she says, \u201cI saw the bigger picture and how God was at work.\u201d<\/p>\n
She worked in a hospital in the Gold Coast section of North Chicago, which was situated in the midst of an area of both great wealth and poverty. She was pursuing a degree in engineering at the time. She remembers being very aware that all of the professional people didn\u2019t look like her, while people working in lower service sector jobs did.<\/p>\n
When her superiors learned she was pursuing an engineering degree and career, she says she was devastated to learn they were quietly wagering among themselves, betting that she wouldn\u2019t succeed. She did succeed, but noted that not one of those people acknowledged her success.<\/p>\n
The disappointment continued. With degree in hand, she had achieved what society seemed to demand for a life of success. Instead, she was denied opportunity to advance in her work. She finally obtained a position in bioengineering, but after 10 minutes in her new position, she says she felt once again mistreated and miserable.<\/p>\n
For a year and a half she cried and prayed, asking God why he would bring her all this way, only to allow her to face continued rejection and disappointment. Instead of consoling her, God challenged her spirit, pointing out that as a Christian, she was not responding well to her circumstances. \u201cI always saw myself as the victim \u2013 it was \u2018woe is me\u2019 \u2013 and I began to realize that I needed to do some work with myself. I saw my treatment by others as unfair. God asked, \u2018Where is your love? You are not responsible for how they are treating you, but you are responsible for how you are treating them.\u2019 It was then that I began to move from victim to victor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her birthday falls on May 22, so she decided to begin reading every portion of the Bible that had a chapter five and a verse 22. It was when she got to Galatians 5:22 that she says, \u201cGod got me.\u201d That is the passage that talks about the fruit of the spirit \u2013 love, joy, and patience, among others.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me about your fruit?\u201d God asked her. \u201cI had to take a long look at the negatives that I saw in me and realize that the fruit had not begun to ripen,\u201d she says of that experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to look at yourself this way. It was then that I began a different journey, one that would allow the fruit of the spirit to be in me what it needed to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
God began sending people her way, people who would challenge her in various areas of her spiritual fruit development. \u201cGod brought people to help me see things in me that God wanted me to see. I can see that God is not finished with me. I look back and see how he has prepared me for what I do today. He sends people to challenge me.\u201d<\/p>\n
She referenced a new scripture passage God has given her, Isaiah 43:1-3, where God tells the people of Israel not to fear, \u201cfor I have redeemed you . . .\u00a0 you are mine. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.\u201d It is this encouragement that she says has sustained her as she completed the process of candidating for the position as executive minister of the newly formed Department of Compassion, Mercy and Justice.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod woke me at 4 a.m. and reminded me that \u2018my thoughts are not your thoughts\u2019 \u2013 don\u2019t try and figure this out.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod has given me the gift of community to work alongside me,\u201d she observes. \u201cI now look back at the painful experiences and thank God for using them to craft me into the person he wants me to become.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I think of moving into a new area of call, I understand it is not my call \u2013 it is a communal call to this different area of justice, to be servants of the Lord. We have a mission, and it\u2019s not complete until we include it all.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a tough journey. I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re prepared – I\u2019m scared to death! But, I know God is in control and leading. We\u2019ve got to be willing to go to the hard places. I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re ready, but I say, let\u2019s go!\u201d<\/p>\n
Report This Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CHICAGO, IL (March 11, 2007) \u2013 Editor\u2019s note: Debbie Blue shared her faith journey with members of the Executive Board of the Evangelical Covenant Church during its meeting Sunday in Chicago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
From Victim to Victor \u2013 A Painful Journey of Faith - Covenant Newswire Archives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2007\/03\/11\/5450\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Victim to Victor \u2013 A Painful Journey of Faith - Covenant Newswire Archives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"CHICAGO, IL (March 11, 2007) \u2013 Editor\u2019s note: Debbie Blue shared her faith journey with members of the Executive Board of the Evangelical Covenant Church during its meeting Sunday in Chicago.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2007\/03\/11\/5450\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Covenant Newswire Archives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2007-03-11T20:35:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2010-12-09T15:49:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.covchurch.org\\\/newswire\\\/2007\\\/03\\\/11\\\/5450\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.covchurch.org\\\/newswire\\\/2007\\\/03\\\/11\\\/5450\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/blogs.covchurch.org\\\/newswire\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2a26f1b1df304098ad9cbae0bbf2c6e8\"},\"headline\":\"From Victim to Victor \u2013 A Painful Journey of Faith\",\"datePublished\":\"2007-03-11T20:35:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2010-12-09T15:49:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.covchurch.org\\\/newswire\\\/2007\\\/03\\\/11\\\/5450\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1585,\"commentCount\":0,\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.covchurch.org\\\/newswire\\\/2007\\\/03\\\/11\\\/5450\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.covchurch.org\\\/newswire\\\/2007\\\/03\\\/11\\\/5450\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.covchurch.org\\\/newswire\\\/2007\\\/03\\\/11\\\/5450\\\/\",\"name\":\"From Victim to Victor \u2013 A Painful Journey of Faith - 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