A man does not own a marriage; he is only a steward of his wife’s love.

From Manhood 101: How to Be a Man of Courage and Integrity in a World of Compromise

The great oak tree was once a nut that stood its ground.

It’s amazing to me how God puts little things in your life to let you know He’s with you. A couple days ago in my Immunology class, we had a debate about embryonic stem cell research. I was the only person in my class who was against using human embryos for research. Instead of being nervous, I took it as a great opportunity to share my beliefs with the rest of the class.

Being that I was the only person in the class against it, my professor asked me to start the discussion by sharing my beliefs. I was allowed to talk freely for probably 10 minutes on why I thought it wasn’t a good idea to do tests on embryos. On top of that, people were interested and asking me questions about my views. I really felt like it was a great opportunity to take a stand for something, even when I was greatly outnumbered.

The purpose of this post is not to give my reasons for why I don’t agree with embryonic stem cell research. Instead, I want it to help people to speak up for what they believe in, despite how outnumbered they may be or nervous they may feel. I knew that in singling myself out like I did made me an open target to any opposition. I knew that there would be those that thought I was crazy, or stifling a good thing that science could do. I didn’t let that stop me, and I’m so glad. Not only did people get to hear my side of it, but the two people on my lab bench actually decided after the debate that they agreed with my standing, and not the majority. It felt really rewarding to hear that.

The truth is, even if no one agreed with me at the end of the debate, I knew I had done the right thing for sticking up for what I believe in. There is a satisfaction that comes when you are faced with a conflict and you hold true to your values and Godly principles no matter what the rest of the world thinks. And the more you practice standing up for what you believe in, the easier it becomes.

I felt really good after the debate. I only hope that God was pleased with me for standing up for what I think He wants. On my drive home from school, I came across the quote at the top of this post, which was located on a billboard at a gas station. I had to laugh to myself because it was totally perfect as to what I had experienced that day in lab. And I believe that was God telling me “well done”.

Don’t be afraid to live out your convictions. Don’t waver just because you’re going against the flow. You just may find out that there are people out there needing a “nut” like you to show them the right path.

“Marriage is the garden gate. Along the path there will be flowers and weeds. Cherish the flowers and pull the weeds.”

We laughed at the gift and contemplated throwing it out. It manages to make it on our bed every morning when the bed is made.