15 years ago

i'm gonna start from the beginning, because i love this God story...

It began in early spring of 1993, when i began to pray this prayer in preparation for Easter, "Dear God please help me to understand Jesus' pain when He died on the cross." Let me tell you that along with "give me patience," well (in my experience), your just asking for it!

On Good Friday i had a handful of friends over to my home (i was living with a friend's family- the Boeses). My friends and i were planning on going rafting down the Stanislaus River, but before we headed out we took the 4 runner for a spin on the property. Just a little f.y.i. -4 runners, do not turn easily on asphault, they also do not stop if they do not have breaks. Which is why the 4 runner i was on went off a 14 ft cliff. i (along with a friend) landed in a berry patch below. Thankfully i had only broken my collarbone. And though i know it doesn't come close to the pain Jesus endured for us, i have never prayed that prayer again!

Because i had a broken collarbone i was unable to drive myself for a time, so i attended church with the Boese family. While at their church, a woman i had been aqquainted with asked me to be a counselor for her 6th grade classes' science camp at Camp Oakhurst. i dreaded asking for more time off from work (teaching preschool, and working as an after school recreation leader) as i had already missed some work due to my injury, but the time was given to me, and in May i came to Camp Oakhurst.

That week, away from life in Oakdale, God and i did a lot of talking. One important question i asked was what He wanted me to do for the summer (as both my jobs ended for the summer). At the end of the week, as we prepared to load the van to return home, an employee at the camp offered me a job for the summer. It was obvious where God wanted me that summer!

4 weeks later i cut my hair short (which is important to know for an upcoming post), loaded up my 65 Ford Falcon with all my belongings, and came to Oakhurst for just the summer... 15 years ago.

Back then i would have never left Oakdale had i known it would have been for good. I had a community, church, friends, and jobs that i loved. 15 years later i have a community, church, friends, family, and mommy job i love. God is full of surprises! i wonder what the next 15 hold!