It's really cold outside today, but the sap still ran so my better half is outside manning the fire and cooking down several gallons to the wonderful consistency of syrup. I'm going to try to pick up where I left off on the last chapter.
My senior year started with me in a body brace, unable to march in marching band and otherwise handicapped---until Christmas time. I suffered some humiliation just being in the ugly thing, but it wasn't permanent, so it was bearable. What a relief to be back to normal! I still had a time of physical therapy and gradual strength build-up, but by the time the next summer arrived I was in pretty good shape.
During my senior year I was able to attend a weekly Bible study with a group of people who were similarly excited about the Lord. I met some wonderful people, mostly college-age, who were smart and talented, really wanting to make their lives count for the Lord. One of the leaders was a law student who worked for Tad Jude, a state representative and a Democrat. He was ardently pro-life and though my friend was a conservative he felt he could assist Mr. Jude in good conscience, and he did. Being a legislative aide is quite an good job for someone with an interest in politics or law, and I was caught up in the excitement of Doing Politics. The issue that year was gambling. Our state was considering lifting a ban on horse racing and all the trappings that go with that. It was my friend's job to hunt down all the statistics that favored keeping the ban. I helped out in a small capacity--attending informational meetings and passing out literature against off-track betting. Despite what I thought was overwhelming evidence against gambling of any kind the pro-gambling/horse people had more money to invest in convincing everyone that gambling was in the state's best interest! We "lost" that battle, and I learned a lesson in policy making and how government really works. Soon after that I was asked to help on the phone banks, calling people to ask for them to vote Republican. I was and continue to be conservative, but my biggest political issue has always been being pro-life. I think it is, as Francis Schaeffer said, a litmus test for godly values in a society. When you sacrifice children to selfish motives you are no better than any ancient human sacrificing culture. There really isn't any other way to see it.
My friend went on to a stellar career in law, trying cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. With his brilliant mind and godly values I hope he becomes a judge someday.
I was applying to only one college. Sure hoped I'd get in! Wheaton College, in Illinois, was where both of my brothers attended, and what I had seen of it on Parent's Weekends had impressed me. Chicago seemed fun and not too far from home. I was put on the waiting list, yet I held out on any other college. I knew where I wanted to be!
My eldest brother had brought home from Wheaton, his first year, a very lovely young woman who went by the name of "Day." She was beautiful; tall, slender, and blond, with an angelic face. He was totally in love, and never ever would he feel any different about her. They were married right after they finished college. "Day" was someone I would have loved to have gotten closer to. I'd never had a sister. But that wasn't to be. She had her influence on me in ways that she'd never have known. I can even say that her approval of the man I eventually married tipped the scales in his favor! She was of a superior intelligence--earning her PHD from the University of Chicago in English. She taught at several schools including Wheaton and Trinity International University. She wrote and edited books and was considered by "Christianity Today" to be one of the evangelical "up-and-comers" in a special issue. She was artistic and influential. To her credit, her four children are her greatest legacy, as they are lovely human beings.
Tragically she died of brain cancer several years ago. At the end of her life she could no longer speak. Sad irony for one so adept with words! She did say, "I know my Redeemer liveth." Her death was a final sad chapter for a life of difficult circumstances that came about through her background.
In my story I was able to get to Wheaton myself that fall after graduation. I knew my major. I had tried being a nurses' aide at the local nursing home but failed miserably. I had to quit after two weeks of emotional anguish, caring for these dear old people, watching them die. It just wasn't in me to pursue a career in medicine! Education seemed to be the ticket to the mission field for me. I loved my adviser at Wheaton, Dr. Turner. Funny how I remember him well, but my U of MN advisers---??? I LOVED Wheaton. I jumped in with both feet, determined to make the most of it. I joined a group that spent Saturdays downtown at Watertower Place street evangelizing. I joined the "World Christian" prayer group. I did "Prayer Walks" with one of my best friends all around campus, asking for revival and blessing---even at Wheaton, the bastion of evangelicalism! I attended two different churches regularly: a church that met in a well-known German restaurant downtown in the Loop, known as the Loop Church, (when I got a ride) and a little Brethren church just blocks off of campus. These places were special in broadening my spiritual sights. I've always been fairly open to different types of worship and creeds of Christianity, but naturally as I aged I began to home in on a specific faith worldview. These years were truly monumental in shaping my views.
I'm thankful by parents let me find my own path. I think I've ended up more like the way were than they are now! Does that make sense?!! Funny paradox.
Wheaton had its challenges for me. Theologically I was stretched. I had a very interesting conversation with Gilbert Bilezikian once---he asked me why I thought that God was omniscient! Heady stuff for a mid-western gal. One of my favorite professors was Mark Noll. I loved listening to him lecture.
I enjoyed all my classes, really, but anthropology really bothered me. Something wasn't right there. Something didn't "jive" with my worldview, but I duly participated and got a passing grade. Barely.
Apparently I shared two classes with my future husband. We even lived in the same dorm that freshman year. But we didn't even know that each other existed, or something about like that!
Spring rolled around and my year at Wheaton came to a close. It was to be final, but I didn't realize that then. The nation's woes would have an effect on my future plans! That was the year of the farm crisis. Farmers couldn't pay their bills, and my dad's agriculturally related business was suffering. Tuition was killing him so he made a deal with me: Try out the University of Minnesota for the summer and if I decided to stay in-state he'd throw in a NEW CAR! I signed up for summer session, thinking a foreign language would transfer back to Wheaton just fine. I took Astronomy too, and an English Literature class.
Sometimes in life circumstances really do play a role in directing outcomes. For me this was a classic example, and fascinating to see how God can work intricate patterns to His purpose.
Norwegian twins from western Minnesota joined me for that summer at the U. One I had met at Wheaton. Her sister attended St. Olaf college. They were identical and they were a year ahead of me. They were BLOND, blue-eyed, pretty, and FUN! What a summer we had! As I recall we were all serious students, but living together at my home was no deterrent to having many fun times. My parents loved them both.
Summer session at the U was idyllic, really, and I was willing to make the big transfer.
I have to say something about foreign language here.
As someone who is considering missions knows, language ability is really important, most of the time.
My middle school was quite unusual in offering German to fifth grade on up. I took German, but it was hard for me. I struggled through a couple years of German in high school, also. I took 2 years of Spanish in High School as well. I decided German was just too hard. What was I going to study in college?
My best friend at Wheaton, who also had a heart for missions, told me that Turkey was the largest unreached nation in the world at that time. Maybe I should try to take Turkish? Please, not German!! But it was the only foreign language class open for that summer session that I could possibly consider taking. Spanish was full. I was FORCED to take German that summer.
And that's a good place to leave this story hanging.
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