Vessel of Light - Montana's Story

Montana Wiggins is a 15 year-old student at Ventura High School. She is on the water polo and swim teams there. She is also already looking ahead toward making a difference in the world. She can’t remember when she didn’t know and accept that Jesus is her Savior, and from the time that she was very young, her dad told her he believed that God would use her to share His message of good news with others from public platforms.

In the beginning, Montana didn’t take her dad's belief about her future too seriously. She always considered it, but she also had other dreams. But in seventh grade, she attended an event that solidified God’s calling on her heart. At what was called a “Friendship Day” in a chapel Montana attended, students and teachers were praying with and for each other. During that experience, Montana clearly sensed God affirming what her dad had always said, even discerning that it could be thousands who would hear God’s Word through her. Others at the event prayed over her at different times and amazingly, they were saying similar things.

From that point forward, Montana began to align her plans and priorities with this calling. She didn’t feel capable to fulfill what God was asking her to do, but she decided that she needed to begin to take steps to develop communications skills and to grow deeper in her faith, so she would be ready when the time was right.
 
As she has moved forward in obedience, the excitement has been growing. Montana says, “When I hear Doug preach in our services, I watch the beauty of God’s Word connecting with people as they receive it. I want to be a part of that. I want to help others discover how to have the peace of God in their lives!”

One of the equipping opportunities that God has provided in Montana’s life to fulfill God’s calling is through an invitation from Pastor Doug to be a part of a Young Communicators Zoom training during the Coronavirus pandemic. She and five other students have been gathering to learn together about communication skills and delivering messages out of God’s Word. Montana says, “I was so ready for this when I got the invitation!”
 
August 24-31, we are highlighting these young communicators in our daily encouragement videos. The passage that Montana chose to share is 2 Samuel 22:19-20 which says, “They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.  He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” In her video, Montana beautifully encourages us to go to God for our support rather than trying to handle issues on our own. She conveys that we can trust that even if God’s support isn’t what we expect, it is ultimately the best solution.

When the prophet Samuel, quoted by Montana, describes his own calling from the Lord, he says, “The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.” (see 1 Samuel 3:19)
 
Montana, as you lean into God’s calling, we know God will be with you every step of the way. May not one of your words fall to the ground. We can’t wait to see how He uses you to help people comprehend God’s incredible love for them, and to be a vessel of light in a dark world in search of peace.