At The Quads

Yesterday I wrote about the lawn of the Quads where I realized that I was falling in love with Kim - now my wife. 

It was during the late night conversation that I became friends before falling in love. We talked about school, family, friendships, food, clothes, hopes, dreams, and faith.

I remember various parts of our 5-6 hour conversation. Some parts I am not proud of. 

One question Kim asked me that night was "Do you go to church?". Now, as of that night I had not yet found a church to attend on a regular basis. However, I was leading a small (6 member) student ministry group on campus - Fellowship of Collegiate Christians (FCC). As soon as she asked me this question I thought of FCC, but I was fearful that she would stop talking to me if she found out - why I'm not sure. So, I answered her question, "No, I don't go to church!"

Later in the week, she asked if I wanted to go out Friday night. I had to say "no" because I was going on a retreat with our FCC group. But, instead of mentioning FCC, inviting her to attend the retreat, or telling her about the details of the retreat, once again, I answered dishonestly. I told her that I was going on a camping trip with some friends. 

Friday afternoon came and she asked me up to her room in the Quads, "you can meet my four roommates", she said. And as I walked in and saw her roommates I froze and I panicked. You see, three of her four roommates where members of FCC. What are the odds that half of the FCC group lived with her? 

Kim began to introduce me and one of her roommates said, "Oh we know Adam. In fact, we are going on this retreat together this weekend!" 

When the truth was exposed she was upset; "Why did you lie to me?". 

The fact that she forgave me and continued to talk with me made me love her more. But, when she began to attend FCC and worked with me to find a church we could attend TOGETHER, that confirmed that she was the one I wanted to spend forever with. 

I try to be honest with her to this day. But occasionally I catch myself holding back part of the truth and I am reminded of Numbers 32:23; "...be sure your sun will find you out".

A Walk Through ISU

This afternoon I had some extra time in my schedule. This is not typical! My wife and kids are away and I found myself in Terre Haute with two hours to spend. What was I to do? I did not want to waste this time. As I drove through town the idea struck me; "head toward campus". The Indiana State University campus is where both my wife and I went to college.

As I continued through town, headed north, the rain was coming down quite hard. My thought was that I would drive through campus and reminisce about the years spent there. But as I arrived on campus the rain had diminished and the clouds were clearing off. Perhaps I would have a few minutes before the storm continued. I parked and jumped out of the car. 

I ended up spending more than an hour walking through campus, walking more than three and a half miles. As I walked through campus i was reminded of many ways God blessed me in the three short years that I attended college at ISU. 

Indiana State University is not only where my wife and I attended college and received our degrees. The campus is also where we met, where we fell in love, and where I proposed to her. Likewise, it was during my time at ISU that I truly experienced Christ's transformational power in my life and discovered what it meant to live a Christian life. Through Fellowship of Collegiate Christians, I began to lead a campus ministry - skills that I still use today in striving to lead a local church. 

As I returned to the car, I said "thank you Jesus, for leading me to campus today". And, as I climbed in and shut the door, the rain began. A downpour had stopped for over an hour as I walked through campus and reminisced, now it had returned. 

So now I say, thank you Jesus, for blessing me with his widow of amazing weather. God is good!