Culture of one: Rachel Getty

The Lord calling me to Himself permeates all aspects of my life. Through my family, He has made known to me His love and goodness. My immediate biological family consists of my parents and my younger brother. Both my parents were born in Montana. My mom was the youngest of four siblings and grew up on a ranch, while my dad was the second youngest of five. My dad’s family did not have a lot of money, and from a young age he learned to work hard just like his dad did to provide. My parents met through friends in college and were married after graduation. After my youngest brother was born, my mom stopped her private counseling practice to become a full-time homemaker. My dad is a financial adviser and an extremely positive person, and he seriously comes home and often says, “Wow, I love my job!” He has taught me to pursue what I love and to find contentment in my work for the Lord.  My parents taught me that instead of following my heart or looking within to find my identity, I am called to follow the Lord’s will and look to Christ alone. I thank the Lord that He blessed me with a family that taught me joy and peace is found in obeying the Lord and praising His name. My family also committed to making family a priority over life’s busyness. Although I participated in sports and the arts growing up, we ate dinner as a family together every night. Every night, my dad would ask us to share one thing about our day. Every summer, we also went camping and on a family vacation to Hawaii or Europe. That closeness and open communication with my family is still a huge part of my life. I text or talk to my mom on the phone every day, and my brother and I still occasionally cuddle in my parent’s bed with them when I visit home.

The Lord has also revealed His character to me through my church family. I grew up in a Lutheran church, but about five years ago my family started looking to grow in another church. God placed us at Valley Bible Church; the youth group at that church changed my life. The people around me demonstrated friendship in a way I had never seen done. I am really close to some of the families in my church, and I enjoy going over to my youth pastor’s house to spend time with his wife and her four kids. I also met my boyfriend in youth group—he has taught me so much about faith and trusting the Lord, especially through losing his mom to cancer two years ago.

One of the last major ways the Lord illuminates Himself to me is through learning. I lived in the same house all my life and enjoyed public school in Spokane Valley. My first year of college was at Biola University in Southern CA, where God showed me what daily dependence on Him looks like. My freshman year was accompanied by both fun experiences and challenges that led to me rely upon the Lord and look to Him, not myself. The Lord was with me during my transition to Whitworth, and here He has continued to evoke praise from me through my classes and His children. God has created me to marvel at His creation, and I love reading, learning, and His people. I am studying education, and I am excited about the ways that God may use me to help others see Him. I am thankful that the Lord has continually shown me to look to Him, and that in different parts of my life: family, church, and school, I see Him at the center, orchestrating it all.