Faith is a gift, one that Andrea Jaeger certainly has. While her faith is strong, she did not spend much of her childhood life going to church. She wondered why, particularly given that many of her friends (and their families) went to church regularly. The biggest reason was that her parents’ work schedules simply did not allow it. Growing up in Chicago, the family ran a restaurant and lounge in the city. Weekends were the busy nights, and they didn’t get home from work until 4 AM some weekend nights. While her parents worked, she had her sisters, and her strong relationship with them helped grow her faith.

Her Family’s Faith Was Strong

While she did not go to church regularly, her parents and sisters still imbued her with the importance of caring for other people, animals, and the world. Her parents relied on the sisters to care for one another while they worked. Once, while playing hide and seek, Andrea Jaeger came across an old picture in the closet.

It was a picture of a newborn baby, whose face was badly swollen, disfigured, and bruised. At the age of seven, she didn’t quite know what the picture was. She initially thought it was another baby, but one of her sisters said that it was her. But, she took away an important lesson from that.

Your Inner Self Should Be a Priority

Later, it turned out that there were some complications during her delivery, and the doctors were forced to use forceps and suction to extract her from the birth canal. The result was the picture, and her wounds would gradually heal over time. The biggest takeaway from this discovery was that she would need to focus on her inner self. The outer self is not the only existence, and her faith was an important part of her inner self.

At the same time, actionable faith will come with its challenges along the way. Jaeger lives by the quote, “Suffering is not the worst thing that can happen to us; the worst that can happen to us is disobedience to God.” This drove her to carry her faith with her everywhere she goes.

To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Required

Andrea Jaeger lives by actionable faith. It is her faith that drove her to run a children’s cancer foundation. From the time she was on the professional tennis tour to where she is now, she has consistently orchestrated humanitarian efforts for those in need. Many of these are award-winning programs, including “Field of Dreams Meets Little Star.” She has a drive to use actionable faith to bring those with resources together to support those who do not necessarily have them. To listen, receive, serve, know, and give back is the greatest reward, and it is a direct result of actionable faith.

A Shining Inspiration for Others

By supporting orphanages, hospitals, schools, and shelters, Jaeger and the Little Star Foundation seek to use actionable faith, imbuing others with the desire to use their faith to give back as well. It will be exciting to see the positive work that her foundation does next.