They didn’t come to discuss politics, but instead shared stories of faith and how that influences their daily actions in the political eye.
Gov. Bill Haslam and First Lady of Tennessee Crissy Haslam shared their testimonies with the Lipscomb community at The Gathering in Allen Arena Tuesday morning.
“It is important for me to remember God’s faithfulness,” Gov. Haslam said. “I keep a journal and I write in it everyday to remember those hard times I’ve been through in the past. That journal reminds me that through lots of different circumstances, good and bad, God has been faithful.”
Gov. Haslam was not originally planning on going into politics. In fact, he first thought he wanted to become a minister.
“I first kind of understood the Gospel when I was a junior in high school and that changed everything for the rest of my life,” Gov. Haslam said.
Three weeks after returning from a YoungLife camp he was involved in through church, his mother passed away.
“This new faith of mine was challenged instantly,” he said.
But after becoming involved in his church, he said he realized that his calling was found somewhere else.
“What I didn’t recognize at that time was that everything I was doing was preparing me for what I really think is the best fit for me,” he said referring to his political leadership roles.
Even during his early career as a businessman and politician, he kept his faith near.
“In my mid to late twenties I started meeting with a group of guys called the ‘Friday Five,'” Gov. Haslam said. “Four other guys would show up in my driveway at 6:15 every week to talk and pray.
“We met together and we talked about everything — from what it was like to be a good husband, to raising children, to checkbook issues, to career decisions. Having those folks with me through it, through a lot of hard decisions, shaped my life much more than anything.”
And today, as he is serving his fourth year in office, Gov. Haslam said his faith is what he looks to every day.
“I don’t know what it’s going to be, but there will be huge times of challenge and struggle, and for me, it’s always helpful to go back to who I am and what I believe.”
Similarly, Crissy Haslam said she keeps her faith at the core of everything she does.
“When I’m in difficult situations, doing some of the things that we do, He’s with me,” she said citing Jesus’ last words in Matthew.
Crissy Haslam shared that she first experienced Christ in middle school, but it wasn’t until college that a tragic experience allowed her to grow in faith.
“The end of my junior year, one of the hardest things that I’ve ever gone through happened to me,” she said. “My sister was a senior in high school and she died in a car wreck and that just rocked my world, of course. It was horrible, it was a freak accident — she was gone in a spilt second.”
She returned home from college for her sister’s funeral and was surrounded by friends and family who she said helped her rediscover her faith.
“I remember thinking they had hope and that was something that I needed,” she said. “At that point, I really surrendered my life to Christ.”
The governor and his wife also spoke highly of Lipscomb and thanked the student body, faculty and staff for their contributions to the Nashville and Tennessee community.
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