God´s Plan & Way of Escape! Chapter 5
[To read the previous and following chapters follow the link HERE.]
After graduating from Marietta College, I began working as a teacher at Friendship School in Marietta, Ohio. I had a class of 12 slightly physically/mentally handicapped children from ages 7 to 13 plus one autistic boy. I had requested that this job be counted as my alternative service if I had been granted conscientious objector status. But my request was denied. However, even knowing of my problem with the military, the director of the school had hired me as I had worked as a volunteer for two years doing 15 hours a week as teacher assistant. I had even cut down on some of my studies to make volunteering possible. But on Monday, November 13th I had not showed up for work. Neither had I called. This was unusual for me, as I was generally conscientious. What had happened?
Back at Ellenville, I had no access to a land phone and was unable to go into town because of my classes and work responsibilities. There were no mobile phones at that time. I was actually learning so much in the lectures and Bible studies that was satisfying my soul that I was bathing spiritually. Finally, I got a letter off to my parents which they received 11 days after I had gone “missing.”
In the meantime, when my parents learned I had not showed up for work nor had phoned, they put in a missing person´s report with the police in Ohio. Little did I know the heart ache I was causing to my whole family: parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, friends . . . everyone! The college paper published an article saying I had gone missing. Another article came out in the local paper about the young graduate gone missing.
My parents even travelled from New Jersey out to Ohio in search for me. They feared I had had a car accident and may have been injured and in need of help. They travelled the same route I had taken stopping at every roadside ditch in search for a sign of me or my brother´s car which I had been driving. My sister and brother-in-law called every police department and hospital along the route from Marietta to Columbus, Ohio desperately seeking for me. While I was finding Jesus, they were sleep deprived with worry asking God for my safe return. It was a horrible time for them.
I need to acknowledge here the pain my actions caused them. I am sorry I caused them so much pain. It was an intensely emotional time for me. I was in dire straits and was thinking more about myself than anyone else! It was a time of tough decisions. I had decided to stand up to the American Military and say no to war. The FBI was after me! Would I serve time in jail, or be forced to join the military? I felt like drowning man going down for the third time. I needed to save myself first before I could be of any use or help to others.
But God had answered my prayer and as I began to study His word the emotional turmoil I had been encountering began to surcease. I was lost in His love and it was wonderful! But it had not been wonderful for my friends and family. Maybe that is why we will need eternity in Heaven to work out all these heart aches we have caused one another through our lack of love. They do take time to mend and heal. We will be doing a lot of apologizing and forgiving and being forgiven. Jesus says, “I will wipe away all your tears,” so obviously there will be tears in Heaven as we acknowledge our wrong doing and try to make things right! I am sorry family for how I hurt you. Please find a way to forgive me.
Looking back on these circumstances and all that happened, I can see it as God´s plan to save me from the FBI who must have been totally confused by these events. I could not have invented a better plan had I tried. But God manufactured His own for me to enable me to spend time in His word learning of Him and His will for my life. As He says in His word, “God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it!”
[To read the previous and following chapters follow the link HERE.]
Back at Ellenville, I had no access to a land phone and was unable to go into town because of my classes and work responsibilities. There were no mobile phones at that time. I was actually learning so much in the lectures and Bible studies that was satisfying my soul that I was bathing spiritually. Finally, I got a letter off to my parents which they received 11 days after I had gone “missing.”
In the meantime, when my parents learned I had not showed up for work nor had phoned, they put in a missing person´s report with the police in Ohio. Little did I know the heart ache I was causing to my whole family: parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, friends . . . everyone! The college paper published an article saying I had gone missing. Another article came out in the local paper about the young graduate gone missing.
My parents even travelled from New Jersey out to Ohio in search for me. They feared I had had a car accident and may have been injured and in need of help. They travelled the same route I had taken stopping at every roadside ditch in search for a sign of me or my brother´s car which I had been driving. My sister and brother-in-law called every police department and hospital along the route from Marietta to Columbus, Ohio desperately seeking for me. While I was finding Jesus, they were sleep deprived with worry asking God for my safe return. It was a horrible time for them.
I need to acknowledge here the pain my actions caused them. I am sorry I caused them so much pain. It was an intensely emotional time for me. I was in dire straits and was thinking more about myself than anyone else! It was a time of tough decisions. I had decided to stand up to the American Military and say no to war. The FBI was after me! Would I serve time in jail, or be forced to join the military? I felt like drowning man going down for the third time. I needed to save myself first before I could be of any use or help to others.
But God had answered my prayer and as I began to study His word the emotional turmoil I had been encountering began to surcease. I was lost in His love and it was wonderful! But it had not been wonderful for my friends and family. Maybe that is why we will need eternity in Heaven to work out all these heart aches we have caused one another through our lack of love. They do take time to mend and heal. We will be doing a lot of apologizing and forgiving and being forgiven. Jesus says, “I will wipe away all your tears,” so obviously there will be tears in Heaven as we acknowledge our wrong doing and try to make things right! I am sorry family for how I hurt you. Please find a way to forgive me.
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