Kim and I were chatting last night (I’m in Montana for Thanksgiving), and the conversation moved to how we’ve seen God’s hand through 2020 in both big and small ways. That generated a look even farther back, specifically the big and small decisions which culminated in us meeting and eventually brought our kids together. It’s hard to imagine that, at this time last year, Steven and Kayla weren’t a couple. In fact, they were weeks away from seeing each other again and starting their unique love story.
But it all started back in 2009 with a big decision followed by a little one in 2010.
For those of you that don’t know my story, my husband joined the army as a chaplain at the ripe old age of 46. Big decision. We moved to Ft. Carson, Colorado in December of 2009 and the following June he deployed for a year. On his way out the door, he took my face in his hands and said, “This will not be a wasted year for us. You will—do you hear me—will do something about all those stories you’ve written over the years.”
I promised I would but, honestly, I had no clue how to even begin.
I made a little decision to go to a Chaplain Spouse’s Coffee. The army is big on spouse’s coffees. They’re ways for us to connect to others living this crazy army life. But at that particular coffee, I met a woman named Kathy Hurst. I told her about my husband’s mandate, and she responded with this: “I’m part of the American Christian Fiction Writer’s group. We’re having a local chapter meeting next Saturday. Would you like to go with me?”
Now for those of you that don’t know me, you have no idea how huge that was. I hate—H.A.T.E.—going to new places, particularly because I’m prone to get lost. Like really lost. The “can’t figure out where I am, how I got there, or how to get back” kind of lost. To have someone offer to drive me was a literal God-send.
Kim was the president of the local chapter at that time, and she was looking for help with an upcoming conference. I offered to help. She invited me to her home to discuss it. This month marks just over ten years since that fateful day.
It’s hard to imagine what life would be like had my husband not been obedient to God’s call to chaplain ministry or I hadn’t decided to buck up my courage and go meet a bunch of strangers.
Decisions. Big and small.
God is in them all.