Because
Have you ever noticed how one event leads to another, and another, all through our lives? For example...
Because my Dad was in the Army, I was born at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Because my parents grew up in the Bloomfield area, so did I, at least for a little while.
Beause my Dad was raised in the Methodist church, so was I, until we moved away from Bloomfield.
Because my Dad's parents farmed, Dad did, too, after he left the Army.
Because Dad received training to be a company clerk in the Army, he realized he had the skills to do something besides farming. That's why we moved to Norfolk, and Mom and Dad began their venture into the hotel business.
Because I grew up in hotels, I lived in a more diverse community than most of my extended family and friends, and learned skills that most kids didn't have.
Because we had no backyard, I joined my family in exploring the surrounding parks and countryside nearly every weekend, which inevitably resulted in closer family relationships and a life-long love of the outdoors.
Because my school's sixth grade spelling bee winner was unable to attend the county spelling bee, I, as the alternate, was able to go, and win! God knew how much this one event would impact my self esteem, and lead me to try things I would otherwise have never done.
Because my Mom was raised in the Lutheran church, so was I, once we left the farm.
Because my parents took me to church and Sunday School, I heard God's Word, and came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
Because God prompted me, when I was twelve, to ask for a guitar for Christmas, and because my parents actually bought me one, I gradually learned to put aside most of my timidity to lead worship and write (and sing) Christian songs.
Because a friend invited me to the Anchor, the Christian coffeehouse in Fairbury, I learned more about God and the wide variety of people who loved and served him, and I learned how to trust him in my everyday life.
Because I asked God to guide me, I attended Concordia Teachers College in Seward, even though I did NOT want to be a teacher. Nevertheless, I savored the Christian atmosphere and in-depth study of God's Word in Concordia's theology classes.
Because a mutual friend invited both of us to help lead worship at a Methodist Lay Witness Mission in Lincoln, I met my future husband there. And because he attended college in Milford, only a few miles away from Seward, we were able to maintain our growing relationship, and marry almost a year later.
Because Bill had a dream of moving to Michigan to help some friends with their ministry there, I fast-tracked my education, graduating early with a convenient degree in elementary education--even though I didn't really want to teach.
Because Michigan's cost of living was higher than we expected, we shared a house with our friends, Bonnie and Gary, and their three young children, for the first year we lived in Michigan.
Because four adults were working together in a small kitchen, rushing to get everything ready for the day, I burned my hand quite badly, and had to delay my job search in Michigan until we had lived there for two or three months.
Because I finally found a job working in the mailroom at an optical lab, I became friends with Lois, the office manager, whose husband was the principal of Trinity Lutheran School in Traverse City. When the school needed three new teachers, she insisted I apply so I could "use my education."
Because Lois was persistent, I applied and got the job of teaching kindergarten, struggled through my first year of teaching, and eventually grew to love teaching young children.
Because I taught kindergarten, I grew in my teaching ability and confidence, and went on to teach a variety of subjects and grades in several schools in western Nebraska.
Because my Grandpa's aunt had left me $1000 in her will, and because Bill's Grandma had bought him savings bonds twice a year throughout his life, we were able to buy our first home, near Traverse City.
Because a friend borrowed our car for a date, we drove our huge pickup to Friday night Bible study, and when another driver crossed the center line, causing a head-on collision, we miraculously survived.
Because we received a cash settlement after the accident, we were able to use those funds to renovate our house.
Because Bill won a free airline ticket to anywhere in the US, we scraped together enough money for a second ticket and flew to Denver, traveling on to Gering to visit his family and mine, who surprised us by driving out to Gering while we were there. And, on the flight home, God led us to the decision to move back to Gering.
Because God's timing is always perfect, I became pregnant after several years of fertility treatments, we sold our house for twice what we had paid for it at a time when houses were not selling at all in Michigan, and we were able to pack up and leave for Nebraska just four months after deciding to move.
Because Bill had hung billboards as a teenager for a family friend in the Scottsbluff area, he was able to reconnect with that friend, whose mentorship introduced Bill to the Cable TV industry, which led to his work in the emerging internet industry.
Because I experienced significant health issues when our biological daughters, Erin and Meagan, were in elementary school, we temporarily put aside our dream of adopting additional children.
Because God works through the medical profession, I was able to receive the treatment I needed so my health improved significantly.
Because we had internet at home long before most people did, we were able to find Victoria's profile and information online, and apply to adopt her. And because of our previous life experiences, we were chosen, out of more than 100 applicants, to be her forever family.
Because I had taught kindergarten at a Lutheran school in Michigan, I was able to help start, and teach at, a Lutheran preschool in Gering.
Because of my Lutheran teaching experience, I was hired to be a Lutheran daycare director.
Because I worked as a daycare director, I learned valuable skills that helped me immensely in my next job, teaching inclusive preschool for the Gering Public Schools. And, my experience with some challenging daycare kids gave me some valuable insights about how to raise Levi, when the time came.
Because I taught preschool in Gering, I met my student and future son, Levi, and we accepted his placement into our home for foster care, which led to his unexpected adoption a couple of years later.
Because Meagan took up pole vaulting, and grew to excel in it, Bill became a high school pole vault coach, and elected to lose weight, eat right, and get in shape so he could be a good example for the athletes he coached, and hopefully avoid a heart attack. And even though the heart attack happened anyway, several years ago, he survived it, partly because he had already made some major lifestyle changes.
Because we decided to attend church before we left on a trip across the unpopulated sandhills of northern Nebraska, we were still close to a hospital when Bill had his heart attack that Sunday morning.
Because I worked in a public school, I attended an in-service training that taught me how to write a blog, which gave me the know-how and courage to start my own blog.
Because I have written a blog for so long, I have had material ready to incorporate into the books I've published recently and plan to publish soon.
Because we live in Gering, we have been able to enjoy close family relationships, lasting friendships, and beautiful surroundings.
Because we raised our children in Gering, they met their future spouses in this part of the world, and had (or hope to have) babies of their own... and so it continues.
As we look back across the years, it's amazing to see where God has brought us, through the good times and the not-so-good times. And because we trust in him, God has been with us every step of the way.
Comments
Post a Comment