His Light For My PATH

This is my story.  It may not be the most eloquently written, you may find grammatical errors and typos, but it is my story.  Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Donna Golob and I am the Executive Director of A Positive Approach to Teen Health.  For you to fully understand the passion I have for teens, you have to know a little of my past.  My mom was just sixteen years old when I was born.  She married my father, I suppose in part because it was at the time “the right thing to do.”  By the time I was two, he was gone, I had a sister who is just 18 months younger than me and we were living with my grandparents.  I have little recollection of my childhood and what I do remember are memories prompted mostly by photographs.  When I was eight years old, my mom got married and I do remember being thrilled.  I was thrilled because I was finally going to have a dad.  We had a great relationship and did many things together.  We weren’t the perfect family, but we were a family.  As the years progressed, my three brothers were born and our family grew.  Nearly another 8 years went by, and dad left.  Divorce, what an ugly thing.

In the meantime, the summer between sixth and seventh grade, a friend and her family had introduced me to Christ.  I did my best to follow what I was being taught, but it was difficult with little or no support from home.  My parents weren’t church-goers, they didn’t really seem to have an opinion about it one way or another.   Although, I do think my mom thought I was getting a little carried away with the whole religious lifestyle.  I spent most of my time at church functions, going to bible studies and attending youth retreats.  I now realize that I was just hungry for acceptance and love.  I had accepted Christ as my Savior, however, I never really grasped the idea of having a relationship with Him and making Him Lord.  Such a big difference!

When the divorce hit, I was confused and felt very much alone.  Instead of pushing in to find God more, I drew away.  While keeping God at an arm’s distance, I began to look for love and acceptance in other ways.  I made a lot of bad choices.  First, as a senior with a decent GPA and my future ahead of me, I chose to quit school.  It was a long year filled with bad choice after bad choice.  I moved several times trying to escape what I thought was my biggest problem.  Home! 

Eventually I started a relationship with a great guy, a PK (Preacher’s Kid) in fact.  I thought I was finally making some better choices, not the best, but better.  I had never known boundaries, never had anyone teach me how to communicate my life-skills were shaky at best.  I found myself living up to the low standards that were set for me. Then I found out I was pregnant!  What a disaster, this girl who was known as the “religious nut” or the “good girl” was first a high school dropout and now an unwed pregnant teen!  What had happened to the good choices?  Where was God in all this?  Now, like my mother before me, I was getting married because “it was the right thing to do.”  So, on my nineteenth birthday I was married. 

A quick two and a half years later, realizing that maybe “the right thing to do” was a really bad idea for a 17 and 19 year old, we divorced.  This time I experienced divorce not as a child, but a willing participant.  Still an ugly and painful thing!  Now, a single parent with a three year old, I began to come to terms with the need for more than a Savior.  I began to read my Bible more and spend more time in prayer.  I was desperately searching for stability.  I was tired of being left, of disappointing and being disappointed; the idea of being alone and unsure of my future was overwhelming.

It was at this point I made the decision to make Jesus Lord and not just Savior.  To give Him total control.  I still made mistakes, but this time the guilt didn’t overwhelm me, there was hope, forgiveness and peace.  In understanding God’s unconditional love for me, and finally accepting His forgiveness, I could really forgive myself for the many poor choices I made. 

Two years later, I married again.  Rob and I celebrated 25 years last August.  I was blessed to spend the first eighteen years of our marriage at home raising our three children.  Seven years ago, I ventured out and became a part-time employee for an organization called A Positive Approach to Teen Health (PATH, Inc.)

When I started with A Positive Approach to Teen Health, I was hired to work nine hours a week doing finances and it didn’t take long for my heart to connect to the mission and vision of the organization.  A Positive Approach to Teen Health equips and empowers teens to make healthy choices through character and relationship building, and life skills education.  Using a whole person approach with a positive message, A Positive Approach to Teen Health stresses the importance of making healthy choices today for a productive and happy future.  Through classroom presentations and an after school mentoring programs, teens are taught the skills they need to set boundaries, communicate effectively, and recognize the difference between risky and healthy relationships.  Rather than assuming that youth are incapable of making wise choices, PATH encourages the youth and their support systems to set high standards and challenges them to reach for their personal best. 

What if someone would have shared these ideals and life skills with me?  What a difference it could have made.  For me, the opportunity to be a part of something like this became more than a job, it became a mission.  The need for this message to get out was huge, and the budget, well it wasn’t.  So I became not only an employee, but a volunteer. 

Today, almost seven years later, I have grown with the company.  First receiving a SPRANS grant in 2004 allowing us to hire a full staff and expand our services.  Now, after experiencing the blessings of two federal grants that have allowed A Positive Approach to Teen Health to grow, we reach over 13,000 students annually through classroom presentations and other areas of service in the seven counties of Northwest Indiana.  In December, the co-founder and Executive Director of A Positive Approach to Teen Health retired, leaving the position open.  I struggled with the idea of accepting the position offered by the Board of Directors.  I struggled with the idea of being capable, after all, I was a high-school dropout and although I had taken some college classes, I didn’t hold a degree.  Was I really the best spokesperson, after all, I was an unwed teen mom myself.  What message would people receive?

I had to make a difficult choice.  Was the work Christ did on the cross enough?  Was it real?  Was I truly unconditionally loved and forgiven?   While I am not perfect, I do believe that God’s Word is.  I count on the scriptures to be His living Word to me daily.  “What Satan meant for evil, God will use for good,” is more than a scripture, it is my living story.  If my story, my example, my experiences can help reach one young person in a way that would cause them to rethink their choices, or to realize that it doesn’t matter what has been, only what will be, then yes, this position is right for me.  I accepted the position as Executive Director of A Positive Approach to Teen Health.  I did this fully realizing that only in and through Christ am I able to be where I am and to do what I believe the job He is calling me to do.  I have heard it said, “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”  I pray and trust this truth for that is what I am walking out every day.

God wrote my story, “He is the author and the finisher of my faith.” Hebrews 12:2.  It is a nonfiction novel that seemed to be filled with imperfections, grammatical errors and typos.  And although it didn’t seem to be the most eloquently written, he always stays true to the plot.  The plot is a promise, a truth and a reason for everything.  The story hasn’t come to a conclusion just yet.  However, I know that as I flip through the pages, his light guides me.  “His word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105.  The Message Bible says it like this,   “By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.”  

I continue to walk, trusting that He will lead me, and that with His guidance, A Positive Approach to Teen Health will continue to make an impact on the lives of teens, their families, and the communities we serve.  I would invite you to learn more about A Positive Approach to Teen Health and to join our team as we impact the youth of Northwest Indiana, and I believe beyond.  We are making a positive difference!  Join us, become part of our story. 

Donna Golob