Page 52 - eBook Living Water 2

A friend of ours, who was a professional photographer, had
approached me when Fred first learned of his cancer, suggesting that I
start my own photography business. He felt my pictures were good.
He was willing to help me get started. I began by advertising $99
weddings. Little by little, as I learned by experience, the business
began to grow. By the time Fred had passed away, I could see that
this was a career that I could enjoy, and could possibly sustain us in
our present home for a few more years. So far it has. Praise God!

I treasure the memories of the years thereafter when Pat and I
met together on Sunday mornings with Lou and Dorothy Wright in
their home. We had met them in the church we had been attending in
Salisbury. In the past, Lou had been a pastor and Dorothy, a
“reluctant, not “feeling led to be” pastor’s wife. It started out being a
rather typical Bible study. In time, though, it evolved into more than
that, as I began to struggle with some things I’d been taught
theologically in the past that didn’t line up with what I was seeing
spiritually in my heart.

I must have been quite a challenge to Lou, who knows his
Bible well, as well as knowing his Jesus. I might not have had the
scripture verses memorized like he did but I could paraphrase pretty
well, even if I couldn’t pinpoint chapters and verses. Thank goodness
for concordances and Google! It became clear to me that if Jesus
loved me the way I was, then I wanted to allow that evolving person
with her non-traditional truths to immerge. What better place to let it
flow? Lou and Dorothy were so accepting of us through all of that. It
led to us all sharing more deeply from our wells of Living Water.

Often our times together lasted three or four hours. Time had
little meaning. Through that process of being real in our brokenness,
I felt growth in Christ Jesus grow between us in leaps and bounds. A
sense of trust, empathy and love began to flourish. I felt protected in
their home, like in the Lord’s sanctuary. It filled a yearning for what
I thought God’s church could be. Matthew 18:20 “For where two or
three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.”