This past Friday night, I had the privilege of going to Columbia, TN, to hear Candace Cameron Bure speak. I have to admit, I was simply thinking it would be a fun-yet quick- road trip and I would hopefully get to meet one of my favorite childhood actresses. I’m ashamed to say that I never really thought about what God had in store for me once I was there. I left in awe of how He, through Candace, challenged me.
She started by giving us all updates on her Full House co-stars. Kimmy Gibbler is married with children, Steve just had a new baby with his wife, The Olsen twins….well, we all know they’re billionaires, etc. She then moved into sharing her story.
She told us that as a teenager she was a “good girl.” She indulged in the typical teenage behaviors, she said, but over all did more good than bad. She felt as if as long as the scale tipped to the good side, she was okay. She began going to church at age 12 and was eventually baptized. She still believed that she was saved by God’s grace and by just being “good” she would earn her spot in heaven. She continued talking about how God nudged her toward a higher calling and a deeper relationship with Him. She said she realized that being good wasn’t good enough. Satan was hiding her sin and she couldn’t see how she had fallen and come short of God’s glory. She said that God is a just judge and even though we are saved by grace, Matthew 7:21 says “Not all who say to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Candace said she wasn’t producing fruit that she should be by being a child of God. She wasn’t sharing His word, she wasn’t loving, demonstrating self control, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, etc. She said she didn’t want to be Left Behind, and used a reference from that book. She said her brother Kirk mentioned a book called
The Way of the Master that really changed the way she looked at her walk with God. It speaks of the ten commandments and how we as humans, as sinners, have broken every single one of them...in ways that we don't even realize. Candace, through this book and the Holy Spirit, recognized her sin and her complete need for God in her life. We all know where she is and what she does today.
Candace is to me, a spiritual mentor. She and her husband Val prayed about her decision to go back into acting after 10 years of being a stay at home mom. She is now starring on the series Make It or Break It on ABC Family. She said she won’t allow her 12 year old daughter to watch it because there are issues on her show she’s not ready for her daughter to see. She explained that many people ask why she agreed to play this role, as there are episodes on teenage sex, drinking, etc. Candance said that she felt like God opened this door for her to share Him with Hollywood. She told stories of how she’s already been able to share the story of Jesus with other actors, Tom Arnold being a big one. She actually plays a Christian on the show and is able to share scripture on public television. She has asked for scripts to have lines removed that take the Lord’s name in vain. She shares her beliefs with directors. She is shining her light in Hollywood and that to Candace, is much more important that anything else.
I am now a bigger fan that I was before I met her. She inspired and challenged my walk with God and I wasn’t expecting that when I got there. Praise God for showing up where we least expect it!
