Changing Seasons
By: Hannah Lackey
Reflections during the Season of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Apple Picking and Fall Festivities
Russian tea, cinnamon candles, fresh fall leaves, and baked pumpkin seeds- these are the fall smells of my childhood that I savor during this time of year. Growing up, each season of the year brought new family activities, church functions, and school events that shaped my upbringing and who I am today. For some unknown reason, as I believe with many other fellow North Carolinians, the season of fall became my favorite. The color of the leaves, the start of school, fall festivals, pumpkin carving, and Thanksgiving meals are all childhood highlights. Regardless of the season of year, whether my beloved fall or not, growing up in Lincoln County in a Christian family was a precious gift that I would never trade. Christ and my family were, and still are today, my anchors. These anchors are what ground me during the ever-changing tides -dare I say, seasons- within culture, churches, politics, and personal life events.
Brent Westergren and Hannah Lackey - Picture taken at Brent and Hannah’s future home this fall before their wedding.
So when did these anchors begin to secure my bodily vessel? When I was in fifth-grade, I attended a tent revival at my local Baptist church. You all know what I’m referring to, right? The kind of revival where an evangelist comes to preach in a hot and sweaty, stained, white tent in the middle of a ballfield? The evangelist at this specific tent revival preached on the common revival topic of salvation. I was captivated. While I grew up in a Christian family and had heard and read the Bible stories in Sunday school, Sunday morning sermons, and during family devotions at home, I never made Christ my Lord and Savior. The message under that stained, white tent was convicting: I needed a Savior to cleanse me of my own stains and I needed to dedicate my life to Christ. As convicting as the sermon was, I did not decide to follow Christ during those subsequent nights. I wrestled with thoughts of doubt, fear of shame, and an overwhelming sense of guilt. After several weeks passed, I finally decided to talk to my parents. I couldn’t pass up another night of rest, both mentally and physically. After speaking with my parents and my pastor, I finally decided to give my life to Christ. In our southern Christian culture we say, “I asked Jesus into my heart,” or “I accepted Christ,” or “I got saved.” While all of these terms are relevant in our microcosm of fried food and good hospitality, I would like to ascribe a deeper phrase to the weight of that decision in fifth-grade: I decided that no matter the cost, I was going to dedicate my life, including every job, spoken word, project, college choice, spouse choice, and friendship to Christ. Jesus became my Lord and Savior. While I may not have understood the implications of my decision at the time, it has continued to be evident throughout my life.
“I decided that no matter the cost, I was going to dedicate my life, including every job, spoken work, project, college choice, spouse choice, and friendship to Christ.”
From left to right: Angie Lackey, Hannah Lackey, Mary Lou Lackey, Carl Lackey - The Lackey family enjoying a windy fall hike at Rough Ridge
Since that profound moment, life’s seasons have brought many changes, trials, and decisions. While I could write pages upon pages of the triumphs, joys, failures, and hardships I have faced in my life, I’ll narrow it down to a few recent anecdotes. After accepting Christ, most of my life appeared to be “normal.” I attended middle school and high school, graduated from Liberty University with both my undergraduate degree and Master’s, and started a job with Samaritan’s Purse. Granted, there were some profound moments even during these seasons of life; not to mention the breathtaking fall Parkway hikes and apple picking in the high country. Yet, life’s greatest challenges and joys were still to come.
This past year (2021) I have experienced some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. Memorial Day weekend, my dearly loved fiancé proposed to me. What could be more joyful than to say “yes, absolutely yes” to the man that wanted to pursue Christ and His will alongside me. However, in the same year, during the month of July, I watched my dad battle COVID-19 from afar. Within 12 hours, my dad’s symptoms progressed from a fever to an extreme shortness of breath as he was transferred to the ICU, inhaling the maximum oxygen flow. I still remember the chilling Sunday morning call from my mom: “Hannah, your dad is being transferred to ICU and is close to being on a ventilator.” After that call, I immediately caved as the tears began to stream. I started begging God to save my dad’s life. After all, my wedding was in three months. I couldn’t afford to lose the man that would walk me down the aisle, give me away, practice the daddy-daughter dance, and then sway on that dance floor on the last day I would be legally called his. To be honest, I’m not sure how I pushed through the immediate fear, other than through the supernatural intervention of God and my family’s support. Through God’s abundant grace, my dad stayed off the ventilator and returned home after a week in the ICU.
Father and daughter, Carl Lackey and Hannah Lackey celebrating Carl’s 50th birthday with his favorite soda, Cheerwine. Cheers to 50!
After the constant adrenaline rush earlier this year, it is difficult to mentally come back to earth. As fall approaches, and the anticipated changes that marriage will bring, I can’t help but to look back on this past year and ponder the stability I maintained throughout the many different seasons of life. God truly has been faithful to me, my fiancé, and my family. The words describing God that we earned in Sunday school, including “faithful, steadfast, and merciful” are more real to me now than they ever have been before. Even as I write this small testimony, I tear up thinking about the goodness of God this year. Our world needs to hear this goodness now more than ever. Through the recent election, COVID-19 pandemic, and shifting culture paradigms, it has become evident that society needs an anchor-- an anchor for truth, justice, love and mercy. This anchor for me is and always will be Christ. I pray that the Holy Spirit will infiltrate our small town of Boone, nestled safely in the rolling hills of the high country as His people pray, meet the needs of the homeless, love the elderly when they can’t leave their homes, care for those who are vulnerable to COVID-19, host university students in their homes, comfort those who have lost loved ones, and speak gracious truth in spheres of local government. As we enjoy the changing colored leaves, pumpkin lattes, turkey dinners, and fall festivities with friends and family, may we hold fast to the anchor of our soul during the ever-changing seasons.