One Sunday morning while getting dressed for church, I received an unexpected call from a friend saying that God had given her a song to write for the victims of bullying. She asked if she could sing the song as well. I chuckled surprisingly saying... I didn't know you could sing! But I gladly accepted her offer. As the date drew closer for the rally, I started feeling uneasy because as quiet as it’s kept, I have a fear of speaking in front of large crowds. So, my plan was to just get someone else to do all the talking while I smiled and waved from the background. But God had other plans to deal with my stage fright. For months, I had a testimony that I wanted to share with the church congregation concerning a miraculous healing received for a serious illness, but I was reluctant to do so for obvious reasons. But, two weeks prior to the rally, I felt compelled to give my testimony one particular morning at church. It was hilarious because I jokingly tried to get my Pastor, Aaron Cowart to share it for me instead. I thought I'd use the story of Moses and Aaron in my defense so that I did not have to speak. Shortly, after giving my testimony, I realized that God was actually preparing me with the courage needed to take the stage for the upcoming event. 

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The weather forecast was predicted to be freezing cold and raining the day of the event. I attempted to cancel several times, but just could not bring myself to do it-even with folks urging me to reschedule. The rally took place as scheduled with approximately 60 guests. The rain came as expected but slacked up after a short prayer by me and some of the quest. As I was driving away from the venue after the rally ended, I felt an urge to roll down my window and look towards the sky. Immediately, I saw the sun slowly coming through a cloud shining brightly. I could even feel the sun’s warmth on my face. I chuckled and thought to myself, so now the sun comes out! But just as quickly as the sun came-it left just as abruptly leaving me mystified. As I continued driving and talking with the event MC-I commented the crowd was not as big as I had hoped. And, just as I said those very words, that quiet inner voice said...it’s not about how many people attended. My thoughts quickly reverted back to what I had just witnessed moments before with the sun. My obedience and faith had been tested! I knew without a doubt that the encounter was a wink of approval from God! While the rally was nice and informative, I felt there was still much more to be done within my community. Meanwhile, I started researching as to why children/youth bully. I also wanted to learn more about helping not only victims of bullying, but their aggressors as well. As I was going through this process, I started to remember that I have always been an upstander. I often stood up for my siblings, friends and students I didn’t even know. I was often bullied at school because I was taller than most kids and very skinny. However, I could physically defend myself. I ignored the insults, but it still hurt to be called names. But what about our children/youth that feel they can't defend themselves? What about the ones that are left feeling humiliated, scared, hopeless and alone? They feel there's no way out from the person(s) tormenting them. However, with the help and support of our parents, school staff and our communities, I believe we can make an incredible impact on eradicating bullying. To show my commitment to this cause, I decided to move forward in starting a nonprofit organization. This would also require a very special name for the organization. One evening, while reading the book of Psalm, I took pause for a moment to think about a name. I was thinking of flipping through the Bible in hopes of finding something that stood out. But there was the name leaping right out before me “Psalm .” I quickly grabbed a pen and pad to write it down for memory, but instead I wrote the word “SONG.” Within seconds before I could even ponder what I had written “SAVE OUR NEXT GENERATION” was magically rolling off my tongue. A very special name for an organization that’s destined to bring about change for generations to come. It took quite a bit of pausing here and there before the non-profit organization was completed. But I never lost sight of this God given vision. Some may ask...why take on such a challenge?

 

My Answer: Passion has found me, and I answered its call!!

-Lisa Brown

 

Thank you, Charlene Stevens Jenkins for support and for such a beautiful song "Be Nice Save A Life." You are a Blessing with a heart to serve! A special thank you to my beautiful family and supportive friend Paulette Mcrae. God is so AMAZINGLY AWESOME!!!