A Humble Start

The story begins with an awkward young girl, too skinny and too tall who just so happened to be very loved. The setting was a small town and her home was nothing to brag about, but what was inside her home, without her even knowing it, was what would give her the strength to carry on for years to come on the road ahead. (More about that later) The outside of her home was a broken down raised ranch, a long bumpy driveway, and a whole lot of overgrown woods. The grass was too long, and paint was peeling off the house. The tree house that had been built for her next to her favorite tree was rotting away now. There was an old pile of wood next to two very familiar cars, an old blue pickup truck and a raggedy maroon car. To the neighbors, down the driveway and across the street, with newer and remodeled homes, hers was a wreck. To her, well to her it was everything.

Inside the raised ranch was where she found her life, in two people who knew how to love. These two people, without fancy careers, without fancy educations, certainly without fancy paychecks, these two people knew one thing. They knew how to love.

For years, she spent time talking and laughing with them, but more importantly she spent time watching them. She watched every night as they gathered together to pray over dinner. She watched as every Sunday they would get in the car and drive to church. She watched as every once in a while, they would talk about money and remind one another to ‘trust the Lord because God takes care of us’. In her heart, she knew that she didn’t have a lot. In her heart she knew they struggled, but somehow she still felt as if she lived like royalty. Perhaps it was because saw them give, and give some more.

Never was she worried about money. There wasn’t a lot. In fact, there were several times where there was close to nothing. He worked so hard and one day hurt his back. Out of work and unemployed, and the holidays were coming. She saw the church bring boxes and boxes of food to her home. Never once did she go hungry. Never once. They were sick and in bed, and unable to work. She saw friends come over with prepared meals. Of course she always thought they weren’t as good as the ones she was used to eating, but again, never hungry. To her, she lived like royalty.

Every week she saw them give money to the church, and then one day she woke up and saw a gaunt looking woman with long blonde hair in her kitchen with a little girl. She didn’t know them at all. She was told that they would be staying in her home. The frail woman had been beaten badly by her boyfriend and needed a place to stay and a place to hide. The woman and her daughter stayed in the raised ranch, and for weeks, she watched as more love was given. She was in awe at how eager they were to help the woman, how unafraid they were to protect her and how quick they were to be inconvenienced. Time passed and more came to stay. They always made room. The raised ranch was not of any great size, and there was one working shower for a family of 4, so when others came they felt it. They always made room for love.

A different day she got off the bus from school to find a couple and their four children in her living room watching television. They had known them for years. He had made a bad decision, and they had lost their home. Their own family wouldn’t take them in. This was their last option. And so it went, a single working shower, a house of 10 people, and 6 people staying in the basement. She figured it couldn’t last for long. She was a little annoyed, but they didn’t seem to feel that way. They didn’t ask the family for money. They didn’t ask them for payments or promises once they got back on their feet. They just gave up their home, no questions and no signing on any dotted lines. Days went by. It was awkward at first. Forced immediate family under very unhappy circumstances. More days went by, and days turned into weeks. Weeks slowly turned into months. She was a senior in high school then. Nine months went by and the family finally found a place of their own.

She remembers so many times where she would sit and talk with them on the porch. Hours and hours would go by. She would talk with them about her fears, about her dreams, about her hopes for love. She loved to talk to them. It was when she felt most loved. When they would go places, she wouldn’t spend time with the other children. She always wanted to spend time with them and watch their interactions with others. She always found that to be more interesting.

 

One night a week couples would crowd inside the raised ranch around blueberry cake and coffee. She wasn’t allowed to be present so she would hide in her room. They didn’t know, but she would listen. She would peer her head into the hallway from her bedroom and listen as couples shared their stories of trouble with their marriages. She would listen as they would laugh and talk. Some would cry. Most would speak softly. Then they would all share and pray. She heard how people looked to them. She saw how people respected them. She was deeply touched, without their knowledge, and wanted to be just like them. She wanted to love.