Never Comes Down As Expected

Sandi Patty sings "God Is Walking Me Through" .... The words are: "Never comes down as expected, In sometimes mysterious ways, How my heavenly Father surrounds me, Goes before me, He is there in each moment unfolding every treacherous step I must take as He lights my day." ... The chorus reads: "God is walking me through and making me sing. He's turning my whole world around with the joy that He brings. He's breaking my fall, lifting me up, changing my heart's point of view. God is walking me through." Then the second verse reads: "Peace at the height of confusion, Calm in the worst of my fears .. not a victim to life's circumstances, all the wayward chances, there's a reason for each disappointment ... And a rainbow above every cloud. I will say out loud ... It's ever the same, the pleasure and pain in every life, but count mine as gain to walk in His light."

I remember this song from several years back. In fact, about 15 years ago ... when youngest granddaughter Lauren was 10, she sang this song in a talent presentation for the Southwest Oklahoma District Church of the Nazarene (the presentation was at the Anadarko Campground Assembly Hall).

Since then, Lauren and I have talked many times about how "life doesn't come down as expected ... sometimes it is in mysterious ways." I was reminded of that recently when I felt Larry and I needed a few days R & R so to speak. It didn't come down as expected ... like maybe a little trip, etc. Instead, Cathy and Christine needed someone to stay at their 46th Street home and watch Sadie and Libby (their dogs who think they are human) while they were out of town. Larry and I said we would be glad to do that. It was a refreshing time ... we got to enjoy cooking there, watching TV, and using their laptop to keep in touch electronically. Now that wasn't what I necessarily had in mind, but God had a good plan. We didn't have to drive far, we had a nice place to stay, we enjoyed it ... and it provided someone to be there for Sadie and Libby. And guess what, we get to do it again the week between Christmas and New Year's. God always knows just what we need ... In Isaiah 65:24 we read these words. "Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."

Many times when life closes in or we are disappointed, I am reminded that God still has the plan for my life ... and the same God who has brought us this far will lead us the rest of the way home.

Down Memory Lane at Blackwell High School

Recently Larry and I had the privilege of going down memory lane with Cathy.

Larry accepted the invitation to be the pastor at the First Church of the Nazarene in Blackwell, Oklahoma and we moved there in July 1971. Cathy began her junior year of high school there in August 1971. It was a good fit for her last two years of high school. She was invited to be the high school choir/ensembles pianist/accompanist. As a new student that helped her integrate into the campus activities.

It seems Cathy's DNA was designed for her to be a teacher. When she was a little girl she would teach her dolls ... and if she and friends would play school, she would volunteer to be the teacher. So it was no surprise that in high school she still felt the pull to be a teacher; she just didn't know what she wanted to teach. In the 1970s Oklahoma English curriculum gave students the option of English for four years and the last semester of their senior year, they had a choice of either Literature, Journalism or Speech.

Cathy chose Speech and Mrs. Denton was the teacher. That class changed her life forever ... it was then she realized she wanted to teach Speech. She graduated from Blackwell High School in 1973, enrolled in Speech Communication at Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University) where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1977, and her Masters degree in Education in 1981. She was privileged to become involved in SNU's Adult Education Program and now has her Doctorate in Education and is a Professor and Director of the Organizational Leadership Program. It all started in a Blackwell High School classroom in 1971.

We were on our way to Wichita, Kansas on June 11th and had time to drive through Blackwell and down Memory Lane. A former classmate of Cathy's class happened to be at the school, admitted us to the building, and he and Cathy walked down Memory Lane through the halls and past various classrooms. Cathy wanted to see Mrs. Denton's former classroom (at the end of the East Hall). She said they have switched the desks some but basically it looked the same and is pictured above for documentation.

Larry and I also had the privilege to go down Memory Lane. We drove past the parsonage and the church. The church is still an inviting structure and makes a good impression for the Church of the Nazarene.

Backyard - Work In Progress

We enjoy our backyard ... it isn't an elaborate showplace that would make the yard of the month in a gardening magazine. However it represents a lot of things to Larry and me. When we moved to Lakeshore in February 2005 the backyard was a disaster. Let's say we didn't buy the house because of the backyard. There was a broken patio and almost the entire area was barren (no grass). Fortunately the front yard had nice grass and the shrubs there gave good curb appeal.



The encouraging fact was we had plans for that backyard. First we had the patio replaced - that made a great difference. Then Larry began the process of fertilizing and giving lots of tender loving care to the grass. However, in the two back corners we weren't sure there would ever be grass there without major effort. The nice alternative woud be to develop two garden areas. Now, five years later, the photo above is one of those back corners. It's still a work in progress. Every season we add a few more shrubs and/or perennials.



Our backyard reminds me of life ... we had a plan for the yard ... and our Heavenly Father reminds us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He has a plan for each of us. Now, I have to tell you that some of the things we planted throughout this five-year period haven't survived. Others struggled and had to be transplanted. And that is the way of life many times. Some of our endeavors don't materialize and we have to change plans. Other times God has helped us to change from conforming to our plans to realizing that His leadership gives us better direction. He reminds us in Proverbs 3:5-6 to "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do; everywhere you go; He's the one Who will keep you on track."



We still have to pull the weeds from our garden areas and make sure there is an ample water supply for them. That's the "work in progress." Just like I do better in life when I continue to seek God's guidance and not always rely on Connie's plans alone. Yes, I, too, am God's work in progress!