Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Abundance (06/08/06)
-
TITLE: MEAGERNESS DOESN'T STAND ALONE. | Previous Challenge Entry
By Lorene Weaver
06/12/06 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
The wheels began turning not so much about meager but about abundance. In every meager incident or time in our lives, there stood abundance right along side of it. My husband and I came from hard working families. My father-in-law was a pipe fitter in a large company. He had five children to support so he also worked a second job driving a cab. They owned their own home in the suburbs. My mother-in-law was a hard worker raising five children, four boys and one girl, just about alone. It was a job she was well familiar with as she raised her brother and two sisters when her mother died at an early age. Sunday church attendance was mandatory to a certain age. The family’s activities centered around the church and the extended family. There was always food, fun, and adventures to share when the whole clan gathered.
My father was a Lutheran pastor. That was meager! My brother attended Wittenberg University on a full scholarship, graduated near the top of his class and went on to score the highest on the Air Force test in the area. A ninety day wonder, he became an officer in 1961, a stressful time for our military. I went to a private high school and then on to Central Connecticut State College graduating with a BS in Elementary Education. Can you imagine tuition was only $100 a semester and I still had to borrow money so I could attend the four years! My family was also very meager in fun. It was not the greatest growing up experience.
When we married, we decided we wanted more than two children. My father was the oldest of five and the only family fun I remember was the short time when we lived near his family. I felt big families equaled fun and I wanted an even number of children. We were told we would be unable to bare our own children. We adopted a beautiful 5 month old Korean girl. Circumstances changed and soon I was pregnant. In all I had five pregnancies with two miscarriages. Our two boys and two girls are now 33,31,29, and 26. Our four grandchildren, two grandsons and two granddaughters, are 16,7,3, and 1½.
I taught for seven years and then stayed home for ten years. Friends handed down baby clothes and other baby needs. Most furniture didn’t survive four kids! We sold the family home and moved. We had a lot of property. Included on that property was a 16’ x 20’ inground pool.
A great vacation for a family of six with no money to go anywhere, we shared our place by having frequent parties. We had an oversize two car garage and a nice long driveway so weather didn’t deter us from enjoying our friends.
Our youngest was three when my dream job opened up and I went back to work. I taught for twenty years in a Lutheran Day School. Such positions aren’t taken with the idea of making money. My husband was a letter carrier and fortunately made more than I did.
We moved again to be nearer to our school. I had a specific window in mind that I wanted in the living room and when I saw it I knew this was the house. We gained a bedroom and much to our surprise, another inground pool! This one was 20’ x 40’. Our vacations continued to center around our pool and inviting friends over. Just recently we have been blessed to have several people baptized in our pool, including myself!
I had to leave my job due to disability three years ago. My husband has been retired for ten years. I would say we are living the abundant life, not because of any material possessions but because God has chastised us, disciplined us, has been molding and shaping us to be more like His son, and has taken us through painful and incredible trials that drew us closer to each other as well as to Him. Meager - yes. Abundant - yes. He continues to be our provider in all things. We are rich indeed.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
