Category Archives: Learning from our past

Young Love (#113)

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November 14, 1969

Young people in their 20’s are living through the most exhilarating decade their lives will ever know. Some are graduating from college, traveling the world, choosing careers, entering the military. Others are getting married, having babies, buying homes, adapting to community life. Spiritual commitments are often made (or unmade) during this decade, and 20-somethings literally pass from childhood to adulthood.

20-somethingsNate and I were no exception. We never ran out of stimulating things to talk about.

Where should he apply for his first lawyer-job? Should we live in a big city? A suburb? A small town? Should we move to his home town? To mine? To a new part of the country? Where should I work? Or should I go back to school? Should we have children? If so, how many?

We were euphoric as we talked about our options. Life had no restrictions, and it seemed we could do anything we wanted. But this belief in unlimited choices, though typical of our age group, had its dangers. In our case it turned out to be too much gazing at the un-decided’s while ignoring one of the decided’s.

3.40It was Friday evening, and Nate and I enjoyed a glass of wine celebrating the many happy decisions ahead of us. Before we knew it, it was 2:00 AM – and then past 3:00. We began to rationalize how practical it would be for Nate to stay in the apartment till breakfast, only a few hours away.

Though we had a rule against him spending the night, most of the night had already passed. Besides, we’d stuck with our decision to remain sexually pure through lots of tempting moments. So we decided he could stay – promising each other we’d “be good.”

But that’s the thing about temptation. The devil whispers a mix of truth and lies into our ears, and before long we’ve stepped over a line we were determined not to cross.

With our inhibitions down because of the wine, our hugging and kissing started to get out of hand. Nate began whispering, “I probably shouldn’t stay.” I responded, “You probably should go.” But neither of us had the will power to pull apart. That’s when something very strange happened.

God has promised to provide an escape hatch when we’re having trouble resisting temptation, and on that Friday, Nate and I were having trouble. Right then, God delivered.

Out of nowhere I heard a car door slam down on the street, and a vivid picture popped into my muzzy mind: Mom…. arriving for a surprise visit.

Logic would say, “Impossible! It’s after 3:00 AM!” But Mom had pulled some pretty crazy stunts in her time. I sat bolt upright and said, “Quick! Grab your shoes and run for the back door! I think Mom’s here!”

“What?” he said in his confusion as he rolled off the Murphy bed and did what I asked. When I heard the back door close behind him, I knew he was headed for his car and his rented room.

I lay there quietly in the dark, waiting to hear Mom’s tap on the front door…. but it never came.

CerealIn a few hours, Nate returned for breakfast. Both of us agreed we’d had a close call – and were thankful for God’s odd but effective “way of escape.” Feeling humbled, we again determined to save our first sex for our wedding night – only 15 days away.

“There’s a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.” (Ecclesiastes 3:5)

Young Love (#112)

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November 10-13, 1969

As the school year moved toward Thanksgiving break, I was pleased at how well my little six-year-olds were learning. Linda (the 2nd grade teacher) and I talked about what they would need to know before entering her class the following year, and I finally felt confident I could get them there.

My friendships with Linda and Judy were deepening, and we began doing a few things socially, away from school. We shared several dinners and included our guys, so they were getting to know each other, too.

The RobinettesThe 4th grade teacher at our school, Mrs. Robinette, was like a teaching mentor to all three of us with her many years of experience. But she was a friend, too. She and her husband lived on a farm, and she often shared her home-grown produce with us – fresh veggies and eggs.

One Sunday, she and her husband invited all of us McKinley teachers and spouses to their home for dinner.

After a delicious meal, Judy sat down at the upright piano and began playing hymns she seemed to know well.

Upright pianoLinda walked over and started singing the words, and then Judy added an alto part. I joined in too, trying to put my notes between theirs. This amateur trio probably sang well beyond the enjoyment of the others, but Linda, Judy, and I had discovered a faith-link between us. All three loved the Lord and had had experience with him. Finding this out meant something special to each of us.

For the most part, our school days went well. We’d adjusted to the 80-mile round trip commute, and the teaching staff felt like family. There was one day, however, that Judy, Linda, and I wished would never have happened.

It was time for a teacher training afternoon, and the students were sent home before lunch. All the teachers in the district were then supposed to report to in-service meetings for the rest of the day.

The three of us really didn’t want to go, so we concocted a better plan. Thinking we wouldn’t me missed, we ditched the afternoon and headed home early. But Principal Scarce had had his eye out for us and wasn’t fooled.

Principal's officeThe next day, when he called us to his office, we knew we’d been caught. Instead of a trio of hymn-singers, we had morphed into a trio of truants.

Mr. Scarce patiently listened to our side of the story, but between the three of us, we couldn’t come up with even one good excuse. His only choice was to dock our paychecks – a big disappointment, and an even bigger embarrassment. Thankfully he didn’t withdraw the permission he’d given me for 3 days off after Thanksgiving. Had he taken that away, Nate and I wouldn’t have been able to have a honeymoon.

All of us felt bad about our immature choice to skip the meetings and vowed to do better, throwing ourselves into the day-to-day work of teaching. But each evening I forgot all about McKinley School and switched into wedding mode, especially enjoying Nate’s and my favorite part of the day – crossing off one more square on our countdown calendar.

By the end of the week, there were only 12 squares left when my students could rightfully call me Miss Johnson.

“….forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” (Philippians 3:13

Young Love (#97)

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October 13 – 17, 1969

 

These days I felt like I was living in three different worlds: fiancée, school teacher, and wedding planner. But much like a child, I dealt first with what was immediately in front of me. That meant my students and lesson plans occupied most of my time.

ID cards, usedI was falling in love with my little first graders and looked forward to being with them every day. And as I worked with them, my mind often drifted to the kindergarteners I’d taught in Chicago. They were in first grade now, too, and I hoped they were doing ok.

Nate and I, wanting to have some children in the wedding, sent several letters to 4 of my former students, asking if they would take part in our wedding. We asked Timmy if he’d be the ring bearer, Brittany if she’d be the flower girl, and Kim and Carla if they would pass out groom’s cake to our guests. I also called my Chicago team teaching partner and asked if her two children, Marea and Paul (a little older) would be our candle lighters.

Ring BearerThe yes-es came back quickly, and each child enthusiastically agreed to participate in the wedding. And I was thrilled that I would get to reconnect with at least several of the children I loved so much.

Although I still had doubts about my 1st grade teaching abilities, there was one area of my work in which I had unshakeable confidence.

Teachers in small schools like ours sometimes doubled as gym teachers, and to my delight, our gym had a trampoline. Having taken classes in high school (and even winning a contest), I was eager to show my admiring students how to jump. But as I began demonstrating somersaults, back drops, and flips-with-twists, rather than the admiration I’d expected, I got laughter.  Later I learned they were catching repeated glimpses of their teacher’s panties and didn’t know what to do with that information. (Could I help it if teachers wore only dresses back then?)

From momMom said she was praying for me, that I would do a good job with my students and wrote of her confidence. “Hope you’re getting the victory over that first grade assignment. You’re more than equal to it: yessir, you are! ‘See Spot run! Look! Look! Look!’ ”

Ever the optimist, she filled her letters with praise and good cheer. “Dad just said, out of the blue, ‘Margaret will make it: she has a way with kids.’ And we weren’t even talking about you, darling.” I accepted it all and moved forward accordingly.

My groom was also supportive, always having a cup of coffee and a listening ear waiting when I arrived home from work. He never tired of hearing about my day and began knowing who-was-who among my students. “Did Todd cooperate today? What about Karen? Did she say anything funny?”

I reveled in his rapt attention and was always sad when it came time for him to drive away at night. Standing at our un-curtained 3rd floor window waving until he was out of sight, I couldn’t believe we had 8 long weeks to wait until we were married — an eternity.

“Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way…. being strengthened…. so that you may have great endurance and patience.” (Colossians 1:10-11)