Speaking to the Christian Post, former WNBA player and current Elon University women’s basketball coach Charlotte Smith explained how she found herself playing abroad and alone, and while having that time for reflection decided to study her Christian faith and become a devoted follower of Christ.
Early in the interview with the Christian Post, Smith spoke about how her father, a pastor, was a faith role model for her. She said, “When I think of my mom and dad, I think of their faithfulness and their commitment to their personal relationships with God and to their ministries. My dad used to always say, ‘I don’t study the Bible to preach. I study the Bible to live.’ They both were great examples for us, and they laid the foundation for our faith.”
She also explained how basketball seemed like a way out of being around lifestyles she found abhorrent, saying, “Basketball was also just a way out of the things that were surrounding us in our neighborhood, not that it was super chaotic. But I mean, there were a lot of drugs, alcohol and a lot of lifestyles that I didn’t want to be around for the rest of my life in that neighborhood.”
But that proved illusory, as she says she gradually drifted away from her faith and loved a sinful life as a young adult, particularly in college. She said, “I think a lot of the sexual temptation stems from not understanding your identity, your value and your worth. I think we all, at some point, want to be validated, want to feel loved, want to feel valued, want to be treasured and honored. And for me, I think a lot of that came from feeling like I had to, in relationships, include the sexual aspect of it in order for the relationship to be validated. And that’s where I struggled.”
But then she left America behind to play basketball abroad and, while in that situation, found herself somewhat alone and with time to think about and study her faith. She said, “Being overseas was a season of isolation. When you think about being overseas in the 1990s, there was no social media. Long-distance phone calls were very costly at that time. You didn’t spend much time on the telephone.” So, she spent time “just diving into the Word of God and drawing closer to Him in that season of isolation.”
Continuing, Smith explained to the Christian Post, “I think what best describes my walk of faith is the shedding of layers. The good thing is that God knows our heart, even though our actions don’t always align with what we deem to be the Christian lifestyle.” She added, “I had to just surrender to Him. I surrendered to allow Him to perfect me in my walk with Him.”
Describing to the Christian Post how she gradually came to Christ in a two steps forward, one step back process, Smith said, “In my walk, I would fail, fall and then get back up. It was a process of shedding. It’s like an onion when you peel back the layers. It wasn’t like I gave my life to Christ, and I did everything perfectly. No, I still struggled with sexual sin.”
She then went on to explain, “My walk with God was a walk that involved saying, ‘Lord, I want to surrender everything to allow for you to help me.’ Because we cannot do it without His help. That’s why we have to be real and transparent about our faith so that other people will say yes to Jesus and allow Him to perfect their walks.”
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