Unseen Hands at Work Molding

 I suppose my high school years were typical of most teens. Though I had grown up in Wellston, I did have to make adjustments. I knew the kids that lived close to me, my sister Janice was a senior, my cousins attended, Martha and Nora, but many of them--because I went to that little Christian school--were new to me and I to them. I was openly accepted by the students--friendships easily formed. I have been blessed to reconnect with some of them on facebook. Good memories shared. My only real aberration between myself and most teens is that I didn't get a driver's license until I was a senior in college--a fifth year senior. Horrors, I know! How did I survive?

As far as athletics were involved, I played baseball. My senior year we were pretty good (okay not pretty), mainly because we had a good pitcher. If I remember right, his name was Robert Taylor. And if I remember correctly, we lost in the playoffs to the team that eventually won it all. That may just be wishful imagination. I also played basketball my first two years, but then the adult leader of a Young Life group in St. Louis County asked me to be the student leader of the group. Since Young Life met on Friday, and games were played on Friday, I couldn't do both and chose Young Life.

Life at school was "normal." Classes, study at times, crushes, student council, attending football games, hitting the fast food places (Steak n' Shake and Chuck-a-Burger were the big two), plays, just hanging out. Typical. Since we were a very small school, we didn't always attract the best teachers--if you couldn't find a position anywhere else, there was always Wellston. Some of our teachers were excellent though--the best being my math teacher senior year. I actually went to college intending to teach math. Thankfully, I saw the light in time and switched to English and history. Whew! Close call.

Outside of school, Young Life was good, church on Wednesday and Sundays, work, basketball on outdoor courts all summer long, fast-pitch softball on the church team. Life was full of activity.

As I write this, I wonder what did God using during these days to mold me into who I became? I had some resistance to my faith by my Spanish teacher, but nothing major. There are always good traits to be learned from sports--some things revealed in my character some new traits developed. My love for literature continued to grow. The necessity of good friendships to a full life, insights into what good teaching and bad teaching looked like, the necessity of choosing between two things that you love. And the greatest gift of the past--memories. I have so many memories from those four years. God's gift to me of four years--good times and bad--but overwhelmingly good. God was molding my life, and I didn't ever notice it--will probably never know the things He taught me in preparation for the years to come. They were good years. And though I can't go back and enjoy them again, I have the memories. He has instilled the past in my memories. They are with me all the time to my delight. Thank You, Lord, for that past, and thank You, Lord, for implanting the memories of that past in my memories today. They are a delight. And may very well be still molding me today.