Faith Faith Stories Testimony of Pam Davis author and creator of the Girls ’n Grace product line | Testimony of Pam Davis author and creator of the Girls ’n Grace product line |
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Page 2 of 3 I went back to my room and in a moment received the One I had been introduced to as a child, as if He had walked out of the shadows of my soul. For me, it was as simple as admitting, I can’t, and God was saying, “I can.” No more torturing and comforting myself with food for being inadequate. I discovered that I can only receive God’s unearned spiritual blessings when I cease trying to earn them. Christ himself satisfies the emptiness and hunger of the soul. At times God even extends His grace as complete deliverance, as He did for me with my eating disorder. From that moment until now, I’ve never seen food as anything other than sustenance to sustain life.
{mosgoogle left} After Bible college, I took some writing classes and even worked on a fiction novel series based on Ecclesiastes that was never published. I started a speaking ministry called Grace ’n Christ to communicate the saving truth of God’s grace. In 2005, God would use a seemingly ordinary day out with my daughter to expand the borders of this ministry of grace and to bring my childhood penchant for using my dolls as spokeswomen for Christ full circle. As I was serving as the fashion show coordinator for Historic Fort Worth’s American Girl Fashion Show, breaking news concerning a national controversy between American Girl and conservative Christians over the self-empowering “I CAN” campaign, and an alliance with a group who supports a lesbian lifestyle and abortion, forced me into a moment of decision. Since I was the show coordinator, I was interviewed by an ABC commentator, and I told the truth—that I was praying for American Girl that they would support the American spirit, which is based on family values and has a Christian root. The following day, American Girl voiced their rebuttals to conservative Christians who were threatening a boycott, stating that they would continue their self empowering mantra “I CAN” and not break any alliance regardless of an organization’s pro abortion, pro lesbian stance. What could I do if I had prayed and people were not willing to change? Give up? Boycott? I felt God calling me to a different response—providing a better alternative. The apostle Paul says it best: “God is able to make all grace abound, so that at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Cor 9:8). Though the task seemed impossible, I declared “I CAN THROUGH CHRIST.” Since I possessed no knowledge of the doll business, I searched the internet and found a company that claimed to be the largest distributor of baby dolls in the US which has the unique heritage of putting a doll-sized Bible in each doll box. I cold called and got their vice president, who is a Christian man and who took a big chance on me, bringing my request to have a doll made to his CEO. After a week, he called with seemingly bad news. If I wanted to have a character doll made, I would need a story on which to base the doll, a completed story that has never been published. My shoulders slumped. Where in the world could I find a finished story? Then I remembered the fiction series I had worked on so many years ago. I rushed to my garage and foraged through the bikes and Christmas ornaments until I found the finished manuscripts. I sent him the first chapter, all the while basking in the words of Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).But it takes more than a story to get a doll produced. Commissioning a doll and having it sculpted in China is a costly venture. One afternoon the bad news came. Unless I could raise 30,000 dollars, my dream of a new doll would not become a reality. I sighed, told the company I would pray about it, and headed off to school to pick up my kids. Little did I know that a divine encounter was about to take place. |