Up the Sunbeam

-- The hands of the clock were giving their best impression of fan blades as I tried to get She So Sweet to her new school on time. Instead of taking the much faster freeway route, a little trouble with my tires had (for safety's sake) forced us to go through town where it meant navigating about a million (give or take a few) stoplights and the erratic traffic patterns that go with them. I was praying for green lights (I'm sure my girl was too), and things were going along reasonably well despite that still-ticking clock. We had hit 3 or 4 green lights in a row (clearly divine intervention!) when, less than two miles from the school, a car in front of us slowed our roll to about half-speed, and you guessed it, we inevitably hit a red light. Groan. The clock seems to spin twice as fast when you have to sit still at a light. A split second before I was really about to come unglued, my mental GPS kicked in and I thought about the intersection where I was sitting. With s...

The burning kink in my neck increased in exponential increments with every tick of the clock as the pleasant, feminine tones of the instructor's voice competed with the loud, steady, humming drone of the air conditioner. Seated in sideways configuration, I had to turn my head sharply to my left to see the teacher and her power point at the front of the room--it was a long (but productive) three hours. My first class of my return to my education was an orientation to college life and an introduction to many requirements, programs and resources I will need to be a successful college student. I listened carefully, trying to be a sponge to soak up all the information and taking notes where necessary. I've been out of this game for a VERY LONG TIME and I didn't want to miss a thing! Later that evening, in an offhand conversation with someone I'd just met, I encountered another voice, one that, with the best of intentions, told me the profession I am pursuing is too com...

-- Years have come and gone since I got the first phone call . . . and the second. Twice in two weeks a well-regarded ministry leader here in my area called to make an invitation. Both times she said that while praying about a ministry position she needed to fill, my name came to her mind, and she wondered if I would be interested. I had only recently learned that I wasn't required to give an automatic yes to everything I was asked to do, so I flexed my new muscle and twice told her I would pray about it. The reason she called twice is that the first time, I told her no. I had, true to my word, prayed and asked God whether He would have me take this position. There was nothing in my seeking of Him that gave me even the slightest whisper of a "yes" answer. I then talked to Hero Husband, and he agreed with me for many reasons that it didn't seem that I should do it. When the second call came, I was a little confused, and almost wavered, but since I believe God is p...