Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: HOPE (10/29/20)
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TITLE: God Uses Songs Too | Previous Challenge Entry
By Marilyn Meiners
11/01/20 -
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Marci reread the definition again from the dictionary which lay open before her. She wondered for the umpteenth time when her heart would feel expectancy again.
Marci grew up a city-girl in a small town in Illinois. She married her high-school sweetheart. Peter worked for his dad on their family farm, and although Marci was not a farm girl at heart, for the next five years Marci loved everything about farm life. She loved gathering fresh farm eggs for their breakfast. Loved watching the birth of a new calf as it made its entrance into the world. God gave them two beautiful boys. Life was perfect, farm living the best.
However, things were about to change. Peter pulled her aside one day and shared with her how he felt God was calling him into ministry. God was asking him to leave the farm, take his family, and move to Chicago to begin studies at Moody Bible Institute. He knew God was calling him into ministry, just not sure what kind, as yet.
After much prayer and counsel, Marci agreed this was what God wanted them both to do. In 1966 Peter packed up his family and moved to Chicago. God blessed Marci with a job at MBI and a wonderful student’s wife to care for her boys during the day.
Peter studied at MBI as well as Trinity College and Trinity Seminary. Marci continued to work in order to provide for the family. God soon revealed pastoral ministry was where Peter should be. Marci was excited as she thought about her new role as a pastor’s wife. Ever since she was a girl of nine, Marci had wanted to serve the Lord in some way. This was a perfect opportunity for her to do just that.
Peter graduated in 1974 and they were headed to Staten Island, NY where Peter would assume the responsibility of senior pastor for a church there. Marci could hardly wait to get involved with the ministry God had specifically called them to. Three months into the ministry, things were about to change.
Marci began to realize how ill-prepared she felt to be a pastor’s wife. She had no idea what was expected of her. How did she manage to care for a busy husband, her boys, her home plus all the church activities? What were her responsibilities? Were there expectations, or did she put too much expectation on herself?
It wasn’t long before Marci lost all hope. She no longer was excited about the ministry. It seemed too hard to achieve the title “perfect pastor’s wife” which she felt was expected of her. When Sunday mornings came along, she dreaded going to church only to face another morning putting on her ‘fake smile’ to greet people with; all the while feeling alone and crying inside.
Oh, how she wanted to go home to Illinois. Her friends were there. Her family was there. People loved her just as she was. In Illinois she laughed and had fun.
“Lord, I can’t do this anymore,” she cried through her tears. “I need your help. I want to be a positive ministry companion for my husband, not someone who ruins his ministry. I NEED YOUR HELP! Please God, give me hope for a better tomorrow.”
This Sunday morning she managed to get her boys ready for church, as well as herself. Putting on her 'fake smile,’ she headed out the door for church. Little did Marci know that God would answer her prayer today.
As she sat quietly in her pew, the soloist began to sing ‘Through It All’.
….So I thank God for the mountains
And I thank Him for the valleys
I thank Him for the storms He’s brought me through
Cause if I never had a problem
I wouldn’t know that He could solve them
I wouldn’t know what faith in His Word could do.
Through it all
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus
I’ve learned to trust in God
Through it all
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.
She had been through some valleys.
Crying unashamedly, Marci asked God to forgive her for not depending on his Word for strength. For not letting God’s word speak hope to her. During those dark, dreary days, God was there all along. She was just too wrapped up in herself to see Him.
One song brought Marci hope to continue on.
A story of non-fiction
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