Bible College: four years of academically challenging courses in the cold Midwest.
I showed up in my knee length, modest skirts, a country mouse going into city mouse territory in many ways. I'd never dreamed that people could dress "modestly" and look so good. It was a bit intimidating and I must say that I am afraid I was too quiet all four years . . .I went to class, went to work and developed an ever closer relationship with my boyfriend.
If I had it to do over again I'd have joined more fun clubs and I'd have gotten off-campus a lot more and really enjoyed getting to know a different part of the world than I was from.
At this time I was head over heels in love with my then boyfriend; we dreamed of being married and in our own cozy nest. But I couldn't see sacrificing all the hard work I'd put into earning a degree. We talked about it and decided that we could do both: be married AND get me through school.
We headed back to school and our mission was accomplished . . .along with a surprise. We weren't just a party of two anymore. Baby was en route. We moved back to my hometown and both of us worked regular people jobs. We hadn't really thought about exactly what we were going to do after school, but friends and family had some suggestions for us.
Hubby's family was all about ministry. It was assumed that Hubby would be all about ministry, too.
And really, why not? Hubby loved youth ministry especially. He loved running the games, organizing weeks up in the mountains, the skits . . .and he was good in front of a crowd. He knew all the right answers to questions about the Bible.
So when a call came in asking if Hubby would move his little family a few hours away, he said yes. It seemed like we wouldn't have been asked if we weren't supposed to go. Hubby and I and ministry. Yes, it seemed natural.
We learned some life lessons at that first job; met some people I'll never forget and pushed against a new door that swung open.
The church had sent us to check out a new Bible College in California and Hubby was very impressed. He hadn't finished Bible College, and so we left that position to allow him to pursue his degree.
Meanwhile I prayed and did my best to be a good Christian. We saw cool things happen, like when we moved from the middle of the country all the way to California so Hubby could finish Bible College and we had no furniture except a bed. We only had a semester left and it was just the two of us and the baby.
I felt like . . .who needs furniture? We'll be okay.
But during chapel one day the Dean announced a free loveseat and couch to whoever claimed it first. Hubby hurried to the front but he was too late. A few days later the Dean pulled Hubby aside and asked if we still needed furniture.
Turns out that one of the bachelor's in the church had taken a job in Massachusetts and asked the church to take what they needed of his stuff and distribute the rest. We got a dining set, living room set and even decorations, including fiscus trees. I was thrilled.
But the icing on the cake was when a friend told me that she really thought baby should have a dresser and so she'd been praying for one for my little girl. And guess what? Out on one of her walks as she was praying she spotted a dresser at the end of someone's driveway. They told her that if she wanted it, it was hers. She took it home and painted a darling Peter Rabbit mural on the face of that dresser for us. So heartwarming!
We were pretty much poor as church mice and that continued after we went into full-time youth ministry again. But I was doing my Bible reading and praying and trusting that it would all be okay. Even after our house burned to the ground I was fine. By this time we had a second child but I was so thankful that we had all escaped with out harm that I wasn't angry about the fire and what we'd lost.
People were so wonderful! They poured out their love to us in an amazing array of financial gifts and physical offerings such as clothes, pots, pans, etc.
We didn't know it then but losing all your stuff in a fire is small potatoes compared to some things that can happen . . .but we were about to find out.
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