The Middle

After being married on what I hear was a miserably hot day, Mick and Julie officially began their lives together.  From the very beginning, the foundation of their marriage was built not on trying to please themselves or their families, trying to get ahead in careers and money, or even on putting the other first.  They knew their only hope in making their marriage last and be a blessing was to follow the Lord.  To seek and follow His plan for them. Every day. Every moment. 

Time was spent learning how to mesh two very different families.  Adjusting to the other's way of life. 

Making the choice to love one another daily.  Mick always said, "Love is a choice, not a feeling." Yes, she drove him crazy from time to time, and yes, he did the unthinkable of making her cry on occasion, but they were learning, and the Lord remained their focus.  His dreams were big, and she was the most supportive wife on the planet! So, she followed him to Ohio to be youth pastors, Iowa to train bird dogs and hunt pheasants, Maryland to create jewelry boxes and chairs, and finally back to Iowa where he would settle down and pastor a church in the small town of Kalona. 

Oh ya! ...A couple small, but rather significant facts I left out.  In that time, they also began adding to their family.  On the first move to Iowa, they had a beautiful baby girl named Brittany.  She was her daddy's little girl, with her mother's nurturing spirit and the attitude of a first-born. 

Next, while living in Maryland, was another girl, Nicole.  She was inquisitive and loved being outdoors with her father, but her mother's love for puzzles and word games came right along with the package. 

Once back in Iowa, they had a boy, entirely his father.  He grew to love hunting and hate trying to get his brain to work the way society thought it should.  Making people people laugh fueled him, and everyone wondered how he could possibly get away with as much as he did. 

Finally, there were 6, another girl completing their precious family.  She grew up under her brother's wing...or shall we say hammer?  Her grandmother's fiery spirit was evident, and her whit undeniable.  Her laughter often filled the house, and although she wouldn't admit it, her mind was as bright as the other three kids' put together. 

The children had their squabbles, but they loved one another, and each had a special bond with both their parents.  Mick was adventurous and loved treating the kids, while Julie was practical, but the best listening ear in the world!  They were both generous with their time and resources.  They were involved in everything from youth group to bible school to coaching to being on prom committee and serving as "seminar parents." 

There wasn't a lot of extra money floating around, but for good reason.  It was invested in a home not only for the 6 in the immediate family, but for everyone in the community.  Every Sunday evening, the house would fill with teenagers in the youth group.  Drinks spilled, food was dropped onto the carpet, and a few butts went through the drywall in the regular game of basketball, but they didn't really care. "A wall can be replaced much easier than a bone. We're just glad you're here having fun."  Mick had plenty of opportunities to pull out this line over the years. 

Their home was open because their minds were--to whatever situation a kid was coming from.  Their pantry was filled because their hearts were--with an Agape love that couldn't bear the thought of even one of these precious children missing out on the Lord and His salvation.  The adults in the community would say the same.  Every life they touched was marked with the finger print of God.  They knew that to love and serve Him instead of themselves was to have life to the fullest.  And they knew that this earth was not their home.