INTERVIEW WITH LISA NELSON

By Deborah Malone and Rita Prochazka

Lisa, can you share some of your testimony with us?

I was fortunate enough to be raised in a Christian home where church attendance was prioritized over most everything else. I grew up in Sunday school with faithful teachers who taught me about God and His Son, Jesus. However, it wasn’t until my freshman year in college that I learned what it meant to have a personal relationship with God, having had a roommate who modeled this relationship for me and who lived out this relationship in her daily life. Her example had a profound impact on me and stayed with me for many years. As time marched on and I graduated, began a teaching career, then married and had children, I got distracted from pursuing a daily relationship with God, but a car accident in 2005 which led to a traumatic brain injury and disability drove me back into His arms.

I learned how faithful and kind He is, and He used many of His people to show His love for me in powerful ways. The overwhelming love, support and generosity my family and I experienced blew my mind, and I couldn’t help but want to seek to know Him more.

In your walk with God in this season of your life, what have you learned?

I’ve learned He is faithful, kind, generous and compassionate. I have learned He is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do.

How have you prepared/been prepared for your ministry?

It’s a little difficult for me to think of myself as being “in ministry,” mostly because I have a tendency to compare myself to those who I feel are legitimately “in ministry.” That said, I published a book in 2022 which tells the story of His faithfulness to me as I worked to recover from my injury and pursue the life I wanted to have. This experience, which is now 18 years in the making, has helped solidify the beliefs I held, and has taught me how sharing the story of His faithfulness to me can encourage others who are facing trials, even if the circumstances are different.

Questions from Deborah

What would your advice be to other “seasoned” women on ways to stay active in ministry?

I am reluctant to offer advice to anyone, because there are so many other women out there who are far more experienced and capable than I am. My advice for anyone who wants to pursue ministry would be to focus more on what God has done and less on what you do/have done. Tell your story, and tell what He has done.

Lisa, can you tell us a little about your ministry?

As I mentioned earlier, my “ministry” is still in its infancy, and consists mostly of trying to connect with those who have read my book and to encourage them in whatever trials they face. I have also had the opportunity to connect with others who are not “believers” in the traditional sense, and it has been neat to engage in dialogue with them about my story and to share my faith in real ways without “church-y” sounding words.

What challenges have you had to overcome in this time of your “seasoned” ministry?

By and large the challenges I face are due to my physical limitations, which I have dealt with since before I reached the age where I can be described as “seasoned.” You would think after 18 years I would have a better grasp of how to cope with these challenges, but I still have many days when I feel more frustrated than fruitful, and more exhausted than effective. Fatigue is something I battle constantly, so I must do what I can to care for myself, get proper rest and be realistic about what I can accomplish on a daily basis. These challenges look like they are here to stay, and so I will continue to confront them and try to rely on Him to give me the victory I cannot achieve on my own.

Lisa, Debbie here. Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your insights from your winter season with our readers. I know your words will be an encouragement to others. Feel free to stop by anytime!

BIO: Lisa Nelson is a wife and mother to two incredibly talented young adults. Prior to becoming a full-time mom, she taught high school social studies and coached basketball and softball. When she is not watching her children preform, she enjoys musical theater, Atlanta Braves baseball and “The West Wing.” Lisa lives in Northwest Georgia with Jason, her husband of 27 years. You can find Lisa’s book, “My Season on the Bench: A Faith Empowered Quest to Get Back in the Game” at http://www.amazon.com.