VL-Issue 44- July 22

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NEED A GOOD FATHER? BY KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON can’t share my life without talking about my parents. Their love and support positioned my brother, Michael, and me to walk incredible life paths. I thank the Lord daily for the gift of godly parents and their Christlike example. Growing up, I never realized that not everyone’s home life was like mine. That’s not to say my parents are perfect, but they genuinely love the Lord, us kids, and others, well. I felt safe, valued, and loved. It breaks my heart to know that so many people have grown up under abuse, belittlement, and rejection by those who should have protected them. If that was your experience, I’m so sorry. This was not God’s intention for your life. My eyes were indeed opened to painful childhood experiences when I entered the world of prison ministry in 2013. I remember the first time I had to speak after the testimony of a woman who had been sexually abused by her father. I watched in disbelief as most of the female inmates nodded their heads as if they understood her painful upbringing through experience. 26 Issue 03 / 2022 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO BY 252BUZZ I felt so inadequate at that moment to speak into their lives—I hadn’t walked in their shoes, so how could my story possibly make a difference to them? Besides, it just felt wrong to share how good my parents were to me when others had been hurt so badly by theirs. I felt God encouraging me, though, to lay aside my insecurities and share my story as He led. He had brought me to speak behind prison walls for a reason; it was time to trust Him with my story. God wanted to use lessons from my water-ski career and stories about my parents’ sacrificial and unconditional love to paint a beautiful picture of His love. For people who have been raised by harsh or absent fathers, it is difficult to imagine God being any different, especially since we call Him our heavenly Father. I was reminded of this truth just the other day in our weekly Victorious Living team online meeting. Out of 9 team members, 5 had been abused, abandoned, rejected, and harshly disciplined by their fathers. And as a result, they have often struggled with insecurities, shame, unworthiness, anger, fear, distrust of authority, and a sense of being unwanted. Each admitted it was challenging not to put the face of their earthly fathers onto God. I was reminded of how blessed I am to have a loving father. I find myself sharing many stories about my dad’s wisdom or actions when I’m speaking. That’s not because my mother’s influence in my life is any less significant. My mother, Becky Overton, is a precious jewel. Mom modeled the Proverbs 31 woman daily. She trusted the Lord and worked diligently to care for my father, brother, and me. For 15 years, she served as my daily water-ski coach and helped me become a world champion. It’s just that Daddy is way more vocal than Mom. And his incredibly demonstrative, larger-than-life personality makes for some pretty lively stories. God has used Daddy’s strong voice and actions to provide me with direction, correction, and encouragement. My father, Parker Overton, taught me how to live a Godhonoring life. I must admit, I rolled my eyes at him a time or two, but his one-liner lessons sure have stuck in my mind. Some of these lessons include: Leave a place and thing better than you found it. Say thank you. Share all you have with others. Be generous. Notice your surroundings. Be a person of your word. When you speak to people, look them in the eye. Make people feel important. Give a firm handshake. “Protect your reputation,” Daddy would say, “because it’s hard to get it back once it’s gone.” I heard that one a lot. And you know, he’s still teaching me even though I’m in my fifties! That’s what good fathers do. I can’t go anywhere without his voice playing in my head. If I’m in a parking lot, I’m alert because I remember, “a parking lot is a dangerous place.” When I fly, I hear his voice prompting me to pay attention to the flight attendant: “She deserves your respect, baby.” Last week, I put down my phone to give the lady my utmost attention even though I’ve flown hundreds of times and can quote the safety instructions and mimic every hand gesture from memory. I’m thankful my father cared enough to teach me how to honor God, people, and places. And he didn’t just preach at me; Daddy practiced what he preached. Day in and day out, he lived a life of integrity Parker and Becky are great examples of service and faith to their family. Pictured above with their son, Michael, daughterin-law Holly, and Kristi after Parker received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, NC’s highest governor’s award for persons making significant contributions to the state. and excellence in public and private. “People are watching you, baby,” he’d say. He didn’t realize that I was watching him, and what I witnessed taught me volumes. For example, the way Daddy treated Mom showed me how my husband should treat me. Even after 56 years of marriage, he continues to open her car door, hold her hand, and speak well of her in front DON’T PUT THE FACE OF YOUR EARTHLY FATHER ON GOD. of others. He truly loves her as God intends. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t tell her how beautiful she is and how her beauty would make “a tadpole slap a whale,” “a bulldog break his chain,” and “a momma cat leave her kittens.” The way he treats his friends taught me to generously share the blessings and opportunities God provides me, whether or not someone can (or will) return the gesture. Likewise, the way he treats his employees taught me to honor those under my authority. Daddy has always cared for those who work for him, whether at his business or our family’s property. He treats everyone like family. And he is always at work behind the scenes trying to make people’s lives better. Like when he arranged for his dentist friend to give the girl at the Hardee’s drive-through a new smile. He hadn’t forgotten his own pain of having buckteeth as a child and how he felt when he looked in the mirror or was taunted by other kids. VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM Issue 03 / 2022 27
Page 1 and 2: REAL PEOPLE | REAL STORIES | REAL H
Page 3 and 4: ISSUE 3, JULY 2022 “I have loved
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Page 7 and 8: Through the stories of Victorious L
Page 9 and 10: STEPPING FORWARD issues from those
Page 11 and 12: easoned, I’d be okay. The traject
Page 13 and 14: STEPPING FORWARD Pass the Test BY K
Page 15 and 16: If my motive for doing something is
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Page 19 and 20: felt since a child. I told the doct
Page 21 and 22: STEPPING FORWARD The Golden Rule
Page 23 and 24: PHOTO BY MELISA ROSZEL to other doc
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Page 29 and 30: Our heavenly Father is generous bey
Page 31 and 32: TRANSFORMED LIVES PHOTOS BY RAELYN
Page 33 and 34: WANT TO KNOW JESUS? “Come to me,

VL-Issue 44- July 22

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