Privileges

Spilled-out Beauty = Privileges

While listening to the song “How Great Thou Art” on Spotify, I remembered as a teenager singing in the choir during a Billy Graham Crusade in New Orleans. Later as an adult I had the privilege of being a youth counselor at a Graham crusade in Lexington, Kentucky. During that event I found out how a counselor connects with someone going forward during the invitation. This memory led me to mentally enumerate the many privileges I’ve had during my lifetime, too many to list here.

When Bill asked my hand in marriage, my first thought was one of regret. Strange, yes. But I had sensed the Lord leading me to a mission field someday. Being a pastor’s wife seemed to exclude that opportunity. But no. Bill and I have been on several short-term mission trips: first in Colombia, South America, then several countries in the Orient, India, Russia, and Africa. I even went with a group (without Bill) to Ireland. God has allowed me to participate in a wide range of travels, including Israel and Germany, something I’d not anticipated as a youth.

Giving up a scholarship to Birmingham Southern University in order to marry Bill, I thought a college degree was also not in my future. But while Bill taught at Asbury College, I enrolled and graduated 20 years after completing high school. Our four children agreed to my college attendance even when it consumed us for six years. What a privilege; for it led me to explore journalism in various fields of creativity, which included being on staff at Good News magazine, led by my professor.

I moved from being a professor’s wife and returned to my preference as pastor’s wife while working in pro-life agencies. Then retirement added the privilege of compiling Bill’s messages into published books. His influence continues. Many other privileges I could list, but I’ll conclude by mentioning (not by name) the friends we’ve met along our journey of ministry. As we say in the Emmaus community: God is good all the time. I thank God for allowing me to enjoy all these privileges.