Chapter 9--our hearts' desires

For as long as i can remember--within my marriage at least, my husband has had the burning desire to go to school. He started going a couple of times, and money would run out, or work would interfere--or whatever. But he LOVES to learn! And he's very very good at learning...way better than i have ever been.

A couple of times when he had tried to go to school part time while working, it became evident to me that my husband's passionate nature (which i love!) made it very very difficult for him to put his all into both things....either he would be passionate about school and work would kind of be on autopilot, or work would take his passion, and school would suffer.

If you know my husband very well, you might know that when i talk about his passion, i'm talking about an almost all-consuming preoccupation with the task at hand. When he gets started on a project, he'll stay up for days with little or no sleep or food completing the task. He has sort of the personality of a Leonardo Davinci. I never knew Mr. Davinci, but i imagine from what i've read..... =)

I said all that to say that the desire began to well up in my heart for there to be a way that he could go to school full time.....and not have to work. We're both approaching the age of 30 at this point, and i'm starting to think that we need to really DO something about what we want -- to stop just coasting along. And the Lord began to put it in my heart that my desires were possible, so i started voicing it to my husband. So he started crunching numbers. And i started looking for extra work. And we started apartment shopping. And lo and behold. There was a way!
And God did what was to us, a miracle.

Let me flashback a moment and remind you that in the beginnings of our adult lives, neither of us did our credit ratings too many favors, and in the beginning of our marriage, we didn't do our rent history too many favors either. So we were both pretty hesitant to even apply to an apartment, assuming that we would be rejected--or have to pay a very pricey deposit at best. Well, James got to looking, and he talked to the managers at different places and found a couple of places who said that they would take just about anybody, but that there would be a deposit if your history was too bad. So we looked a little more, figured out which place we wanted to risk our application fee on, and we applied. And we were approved. And i don't remember what the lady said, but it was something to indicate that we just barely made it under the you-don't-have- to-pay-an-extra-deposit line, but we would be on a type of probation for a while since we were kind of a risk for the apartment complex. Wow! We were so excited!

God, with His perfect timing, provided a much better home for Jen-pa, a cheaper home for us (no maid service this time--but better plumbing), and the beginnings of a plan. . . a plan that seemed to be formed by God this time, instead of us, and we could feel the energy of the promise of success--though far off. So we made all the arrangements and signed the longest lease they would allow (15 months), and we moved in March 2005.

I'm happy to say (though this might not be a big deal for you) that we have just finished completing our lease, and no one has even threatened to evict us -- not one time -- and we have always paid the rent on time and kept up the electricity, and we have had a phone for the whole time. And while we were there, we finished paying off a vehicle. This -- also a first for us. Sometime this week, we will sign a new lease on our apartment...a very exciting thing.

I told you this was the "warts and all" blog. And these are some of my warts, and i give glory to God because He is surely and gently burning them away. He's giving me smoother skin. =)

Well, i guess that's all for today.

=)
Beth