Ashlee Hitting the Jackpot, Part 1

Ashlee had a big dilemma. “I wanted to serve God, but I also wanted to fit in.” As a young adult, she became weary of living a double life and needed to make a change. She grew up in a devoted Christian family who loved God and each other. They went to church every Sunday, and Ashlee was active in youth groups and at Bible camps. She accepted Christ into her heart and desired most of all to never let down God or her parents.

When Ashlee was very young, she didn’t recognize that her dad was different. He was just a regular dad who loved her and did everything he could to help her succeed. But when she started school, she found out that he was famous. Her father played for two professional football teams, winning two Super Bowls during his career.

That made her different from the other kids—and not always in a good way. Ashlee found herself the target of jealousy and bullying at school. “I wanted to be liked by my peers, but I wasn’t. I’d walk around thinking, ‘Who’s going to accept me? Who will I sit with at lunch today?’ Kids can say some really harsh things, and that gave me great insecurity.”

By the time she reached high school, Ashlee faced a huge decision. As a gifted athlete herself, she says, “Everything we did at home was based around sports. It created such a bond between me and my father and older brother. Athleticism was my talent and something I loved. I was really good at a lot of sports, but I knew that if I was actually going to make it and get a scholarship, I needed to pick one and focus. I chose soccer.”

Ashlee won a full scholarship to a university and became captain of her soccer team. Now peer pressure returned in another form, this time threatening her relationship with God. “It’s really difficult to go to a school that is not based on God at all. I did plug into some Christian groups, but I also wanted to fit in with my team. I was living a double life because I wanted to serve God, but I also wanted to fit in.”

Reflect: Have you ever been part of a group that did not have the same values you did? Should you stay in that group as a witness or leave it? Remember, God is calling Christians to change the world, not be changed by the world.

Key Bible Texts

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20 KJV)