Unequally Yoked: A Desperate mom and her departing teenager
January-May 2001
Oregon, Mt. Hood, as far as the east is from the west. W____& M____, together. Please God, put a division between them. If they're not meant to be together, if M____ is not going to take a stand for You, if W____ is not going to get saved through all this, please put a division between them. They're saving, planning, arguing, working, staying with his family. It is just not right. Please, Father, whatever It takes. Please don't let them go! M____ wants my OK, my excitement. Oh M______, it's just not right, surely it is not what is BEST. God, Whatever it takes, please stop them. Emotions, too many emotions. M_____'s cat, an indoor cat. “Mom, I can't take him with me in the car. It's too long, he won't eat. As soon as we Are settled you can send him out. OK? OK, in the basement only. We'll put up a door. A cat, in the basement. What to take, what not to take. How can I help? This is not what I want. God, it's not happening, right??? Money, packing, squeezing, arguing about who's taking what in who's vehicle. JUST FORGET IT! God, it is Getting too close. Please, listen to me, please! I was at a Ladies Missionary meeting. A friend hands me a book. “You will like it. I read it. I don't remember the Whole story, but take it as long as you like.” Elizabeth Elliot's “Through Gates of Splendor”. A missionary Story. Whatever! The day is drawing near, too near. Unbearably near. Tears-flowing near. Emotionally near. Too near. The Book. Jim Elliot, contemplating Gods will for his life. A missionary life. At his home in Portland, Oregon, Sitting, looking towards Mt. Hood. Mt. Hood, the same Mt. Hood that W____& M____ can't wait to get back To. Snowboarding—what a life they desire to live in Oregon. Mt. Hood, God, Jim, a missionary in Portland Oregon. Who am I to think that M____ has to stay here? She cannot ever, never, run from YOU. Never! Your will, Your Plan, not mine. I surrender. Who am I to think that YOU are not going to be in Oregon with our precious Daughter, M____. Mother's Day. Emotions. Our last meal together. Tears flowing freely. No stopping them now. How in the World did we get to this point? Father, God, why, why, why??? Why? Our day & night are very full. Packing, crying, hurrying, helping, crying! (Our son, D____, dates a new girl tonight, D____. Poor D___, what a night to visit! C_____ visits with M____. M____& C____, D____& D___, M__& R____, Dad & mom. Laughing, crying, visiting, crying, hugging, Crying. Out of control night!) Oh, dear God, this can't be happening. How did it get this far? Do you have everything M____? Money? Did you get Travellers Checks? NO, no time! My money will be Divided, not all in one place. OK, but you should have…Oh well. The vehicles are packed. M____'s car has room for only one more thing—her! God please, not her! I know she Cannot run from You, but please change her mind, something, anything. Please God! Say good-bye C___. Say good-bye D____. Say good-bye Dad. Help, dear God, help! I love you! Call! I love you! Please God! The following morning, ready to leave…Monday, May 13 th , 2001. “Mom, we're going now.” And the tears Continued to flow freely. And Wally…no good-byes. Monday, May 13 th , between 6 & 7pm. A phone call beyond what I ever could have imagined. Her sobbing voice. “Mom…” What's wrong? “I lost my money, all of my money, my purse, license, everything. It's gone. We looked for miles. I don't know what happened. We were at a gas station. I took out my purse and put it on top of the car while I was pumping gas. I don't know if I left it there, someone took it, it blew off while going down the road, I don't know! It's gone. We searched for miles.” The money was all together. No Travellers Checks, no money in her pockets or the glove compartment. No, it was all together. And we both sobbed Together. $2,000—cash—gone—lost—stolen?? “M____, you don't have to go. Come home, it's not right, you don't have to go!" Please God, turn them around. W___ says he has enough money, so on they go! Hard lessons to be learned while Traveling across the country with no money of her own. The money is spent as W____ sees fit. Arrival in Oregon, @ Government Camp. They need jobs, money, housing. Life is one big party for the people They meet. Sleep is lacking. Money is dwindling. Yet, God is in control. Jobs provided, in God's timing & in His way. Day 1 on the job for W____. Working at The mountain. An accident, a phone call home. A badly broken leg. W____ can't work—full cast. Dear Lord. M____ works hard to pay the bills for their little place. W____ sits, can't work, can't play. But, he can read. M____'s books, good Christian books, the Bible. Oh Lord, only YOU have the “perfect” plan for each life! And he Reads the book I sent to M____. “Through Gates of Splendor”. End of Summer, 2001 “Mom, things are changing. W___ is reading. He doesn't want to go to bars & party. (Boy, is he changing.) He read the book you sent & said all the people know they're going to heaven when they die.” We both thought Of “The Left Behind” series. I shipped out book #1 the very next day. I would have hand delivered it if I could! While W___ was with our daughter, I struggled, BIG TIME, to pray for him. The relationship was WRONG. I Felt they should go their own way & definitely not travel together. But God…He helped me see W___'s need For Jesus Christ. So, the prayers began. Tough, very tough. But, I prayed for W___'s salvation. “If” they Were meant to be together, they needed to do things God's way, not the way of the world. My heart began to Soften. He needed the Lord just like everyone else. Thank You, Father! The book I sent was meant for M____. “Through Gates of Splendor”. The missionary story. After I read it, I Knew our M____ should read it. How was I to know that W____ would read it instead? Only You, Lord. Prayer, Consistent. Hope, faith. “Be still & know that I am God”. My Scripture verse, needed once again in my life. W____ accepted Jesus as Savior & Lord of his life the end of the summer of 2001. He realized his sin in living With our daughter. He questioned her, only to find out that she too was a Christian, a born again believer, going the Way of the world, the wrong way! She followed W____, her boyfriend, & here they find themselves. What to do? They began to pray. They found a church through the phone book. God led them to Open Door Baptist Church. M____ says it reminds her of her home church, Summit Baptist Bible Church. A Pastor with a heart for his People & is sensitive to visitors. They received a Pastoral visit. At that time, the Pastor “assumed” they were a Young married couple—uh, oh! His challenge goes out to them: 1. get married now 2. separate, & plan a wedding 3. continue living in sin, attending church, but not able to serve in the church Let go, M____, give it all to your Lord and let Him direct you! M____ humbled herself before God, seeking His will & direction. AMEN!!! Within minutes, Pastor M__l Tittle Lets her know that there is a family who may be interested in taking her into their home, If she is willing!??? Well, I received the phone call that a mothers heart longs for. “Mom, I'm on my way to meet Pastor for lunch. A Family is with him who has a room for me, if all falls into place. I'm outside the restaurant, so I will call you back.” Oh, dear Lord, work out the details! “Mom , the family is really nice. They have 3 boys & a girl. They are adorable, really well-behaved. The house is beautiful. I'd have my own room & bathroom. They showed me around & asked if I had any questions. “By any chance do you have a piano?” “Funny you should ask. We're thinking of buying a baby grand to put in this room by all the windows." W___ also found housing. They planned to separate in about one month. Their choice: Plan a wedding!!! Only by God's grace & mercy, & in His perfect timing, could all of this truly have happened. Who was I to Think that God just let them go & gave up on them? Your plan Lord, not mine. M____ was able to come home for Christmas, 2001. W___ had to make a very important phone call to Dan, dad, Asking for M____'s hand in marriage. He did. Dan said YES! What a joy-filled reunion @ the airport. The plans for a special wedding began! L___ N___, Mother of M____ , wife of W___, married at ________, July 27, 2002. The C____ family, who took M____ into their home, all attended their wedding. D____, the mom, sang a solo, "How Beautiful", and their precious daughter was W___& M_____'s flower girl.
Recommended Resources:
(click on a title to see description)
