A Long Time Back Grateful and Thankful Remembrance

I've been working on homework for Thursday Bible study.  We are studying I and II Peter.  Some weeks I really enjoy the homework and there are other weeks it is a grind just to get through it.  When one of those grinding weeks happens, I'm surprised when others in my core group got so much out of the lesson. It makes me go back to the questions and look at the study with fresh eyes.  This week I'm enjoying the homework and in turn the homework gives me much to ponder as I go about my day.  We are in I Peter 3, which is the submissive wife chapter or at least it is at the beginning.  Many would think that would be a problem but it's not.  Roy is a verse 7 kind of hubby, "treat your wife with understanding as you live together.  She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life.  Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered."  No, the Word is speaking loudly about suffering for doing good.  Right now there is a side situation in our life that fits under that subject, but that really doesn't have our full attention.  No, these verses have reminded me of a different time, in the long ago, back in the day of my college years.  And that time was hard, difficult, filled with many shed tears and indecision.  But God comforted me in that time just how II Corinthians 1 says He will.  It was such a significant learning time and that experience helped in defining thoughts and actions that have served me well all through my life.  Through that time comes the rest of that verse 4, being able to comfort others with how God comforts. 


We go back to the year of our Lord, 1972.  I had only been a Christian a little over a year.  My grades were in the pit before I became a Christian and through new eyes and understanding the Lord gave me insight into seeing that good grades and having a decent education was quite important.  I began to study with a fervor and brought my grades up to graduate in the upper half of my class.  It was a HUGE jump and only God, and my algebra teacher, could have made happen.  Now back in the day we didn't even start applying for college or thinking about college until the second half of your senior year.  One of my new Christian friends invited me to go to San Marcos with her to be her roommate and so I applied.  I had never even been to the college, which back then was known as Southwest Texas State University, and they actually accepted me.  In hindsight, I don't think my father thought I would ever be accepted into a university and it came as quite a shock when I received that letter.  My grandparents were visiting us at the time and as soon as I read, congratulations a whole lot of jumping and screaming filled the house.  I no longer care to jump but a good scream once in a while is just what the Dr orders.  My grandparents were so proud, mom was totally happy, but my father went back to his desk and returned with a folded piece of paper letting me know how much money I would have per semester.  No congrats, no joy, just a number.  You know it is kind of like one of those scenes between salesman and buyer in a car showroom. 


So the summer after graduating high school, my friend and I made plans for our dorm room.  We decorated with a Noah's ark theme.  It was colorful, biblical and cute.  We thought what a great way to begin conversations to introduce our hall mates to Jesus.  My mom knew the dollar number my father had given me would not cover any part of the getting ready for college experience, much less a semester costs.  So she helped me as much as she could to buy clothes and supplies for college.  When I went to SWTSU, I was a happy and excited about the future kind of girl. 


All went well with my roommate at first.  We were on a fun hall in Falls Hall.  About the third week into the semester, my roommate came to me with some disturbing news.  She had given this a lot of thought, but she had been a good "church" girl for all her life and if she was ever going to experience life, college was the best time to do it.  So she was chucking everything Christian in search for the good life.  Wow, that news shocked!  The rest of that semester was one of the most difficult times I had experienced.  I was afraid to mention any of this to my parents because I knew it would be the right excuse my father needed to drag me home.  College was not his will for my life.  I made the best decision of falling into the Word and letting it heal my broken heart and spirit.  On top of the obvious strain in the dorm room, my roommate began telling lies about me to our hall mates, making fun of me because I was a Christian and wreaking havoc in any way to destroy my confidence in Christ.  God was so gracious in His comfort, because He sent me a friend who walked through this whole mess with me.  Her name is Mary Madeline.  No she wasn't at SWSTU, she was still in Houston finishing up high school.  I've written before of the tremendous impact she has and continues to have on my life.  I think I had a letter and sometimes two every day encouraging me.  When I came home for Christmas break, she prayed and counseled with me on my approach to the next semester.  She gave me wise advice and I returned scared but hopeful in the Lord.  My roommate moved next door and my new roommate spent exactly one night in our dorm room.  She lived with her boyfriend in a mobile home and occasionally stopped by to pick up messages or just hang out in between classes.  Basically, I had a room to myself, and that was a special blessing.  I began hanging out more with friends in BSU, Baptist Student Union, threw myself into my FBC of San Marcos activities and never spoke badly of my former roommate to our hall mates.  That second semester I was busy dating my former boyfriend again, who was at Southwestern in Georgetown and began dating a young preacher boy at Southwest.  I had never dated two guys before at one time in my whole young life and oh they knew about each other and it kept life very interesting for me.  I kept myself in the Word and was continually encouraged by Mary Madeline in how to walk out the faith.  I have packed and toted her letters in every move we've made.  I still have them and can glance at the letters in the box even now and pick out the letters that came during such difficult times and were a word to the situation. 


As the spring semester was coming to a close and we were packing up our things to return home, every girl on that hallway came to me, apologized for how they treated me and acknowledged the fact they had seen Jesus in all my responses and actions toward them, but especially toward my former roommate. 


That freshman year was so long and difficult yet it was the most fulfilling and deep time I've ever had with the Lord.  Girl, I knew His presence was with me and He never left me alone or forsaken.  Although to outside and unbelieving eyes for a time it might have looked like He had.  This long blog post is a testimony to the faithfulness of God when we are suffering for His Name and mistreated for our belief in the all knowing and all loving God.  His comfort and His gift of a friend helps me today in how I approach comforting those who hurt and need just a little encouragement along the way. 

"If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.  Turn away from evil and do good.  Search for peace and work to maintain it.  The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right and his ears are open to their prayers.  But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil." I Peter 3:10-12

Funny, I prayed to God for deliverance that year.  In fact my favorite verse I quoted often, daily, hourly, minutely was, oh that I had the wings of a dove that I could fly away.  But now, in grateful thankfulness to God, I wouldn't trade that year of life for the world.