Support, to me means being there when needed to hold me up, to be available and ready to be a part of my world. The challenge that might be coming for me: searching for another school to teach in. My son wants me to move closer to him and his wife. That would mean moving, I have lived in this house for 22 years, finding another place to live, finding a new job, etc., etc.
My support comes from my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and my relationship with God the Father. When stressors come, and I have had several in the last few weeks, I know my Father knows and will hold me and strengthen me for the tasks that need to be done and to calm my spirit.
Because of my faith, I have had so many opportunities to serve people and travel. My faith took me to West Africa, Australia, Old Mexico, to Canada and all across the USA in service. I had never been to Africa, but hopped on a plane in 2002 and flew to a “destination unknown” at least to me. God knew what was ahead for me but I had no clue. If I had known, I might have given it much more thought than I did.
When I was in school at the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics, I had two professors that kept trying to discourage me saying I was too old and that I could not learn another language. At the end of the class, they had to give me an A. I spend more time praying about that class than I did studying. Then God sent me to another difficult school, the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi for French Language Immersion to learn to speak French in 13 months. He is my support, my driving force that keeps me going. My faith means everything to me.
I do have another significant support in my youngest son and his wife. When I get discouraged, I call William and he always says, “Do not worry about it MOM we will work it out”. He has been the crutch that I have leaned on since the divorce in ‘91. My daughter is supportive most of the time but she lives so far away that it is hard for her to relate to what I am going through. My church family is supportive and caring. My minister answers my e-mails when I have questions and is very encouraging.
Every day of my life, I know that God is with me to support me in my teaching, my driving to work, my studies and my life. We had for a while a little girl in class who was very defiant and violent at times. She kicked every teacher at one time or another. When I would get frustrated and not know what to do next, I would tell the other teachers I had to go to the bathroom. I would sit in there and pray, “God calm my spirit” and “calm B’s spirit” and then I would be ready to go back to the classroom and proceed with the day.
I work with a great team of teachers: my co-teacher is a great supporter. He listens, he talks, and he will advise when needed. He is a friend and a good example for the children. He has a dry sense of humor which I enjoy. We make a good team. He is young but very mature for his age. He treats me as an equal even though there is forty years difference in our ages. Both he and my son are supportive of my finishing my Master’s Degree. There are times I have gotten discouraged and wonder if I made the right decision to pursue this journey, both of them say, ”Of course, keep going.”
I cannot even imagine what my life would be like if I did not have Jesus as my best friend and sustainer. I have been asked if I was ready to go back overseas to work. I always say, “If God calls, I will answer, but He is not calling me”. With the health issues I have a long-term mission assignment would not be advisable. But I have said I would go on short-term trips and be ready to serve. To go to the mission field again would mean raising funds, hours and hours of speaking before crowds of people pointing out the importance of the mission. It would mean closing my house again and preparing my sister or my friends to care for my stateside expenses while I was gone. This is a huge task, I do not think I am ready for this again. I do not mean to preach but that is where my life is and where my support comes from.
