I Married An Adventurer
I wrote this last month and never published it...
Tom turned 55 this week. He's an amazing man. He has and continues to lead our family to be close to God and close to each other. We often marvel about how wonderful it is that we really like each other - we aren't just a family that "has" to spend time together. We enjoy each other's company a lot. I believe a big part of that is because of the kind of husband and father Tom is.
Tom was always adventurous. He spent two weeks with a friend in the White Mountains when he was 15. Fifteen! Before cell phones. Two boys on a mountain, hiking alone for two weeks. Lightning hit the cabin they were sleeping in one night. He and the same friend spent another week canoeing down the Connecticut River the summer after they graduated from high school. They often camped in freezing temperatures. He had wild adventures with his uncles and his sister and brother in law in Germany when he was a young adult.
Moving to Kenya was just another in a long list of adventures for Tom. The same cannot be said of me. I moved to New York City and any one who knew me then would say that was a big step for me. My dad actually had to talk me into following through with my plans to work there for the summer. Before that my life was pretty tame. And for years after that move, I was content to move around short distances, living in New York and New Jersey. No one could have convinced me that I would vacation in Africa, let alone live there. Once Tom came into my life, things began to change. First, I moved to Philadelphia. Then...
When Tom and I started dating, I knew he wanted to move to Africa. I had expressed an interest in Africa myself. Someone suggested that the only reason I was interested in Africa was because I was interested in Tom. I felt indignant at the time, but there was a lot of truth in her comment. Tom and I were older when we started dating. We had both been disciples for several years. Our romance was short, but the friendship was built slowly - I wasn't one to easily give my heart. Over time he had become my "Mr. Fix-It." Tom always knew what to do and I had begun to rely on his advice and expertise in many things. So shortly after we started dating, I knew... I loved him and I was ready to follow him anywhere. I trusted him. He was a man of integrity and he put God first in his life. He was trustworthy and went out of his way to help others. He was a gentleman and a gentle man. He also loved kids and was kind to animals. A girl notices those things...
Here's the thing. Marrying Tom has stretched my life in so many ways. I have lived in 3 African cities. I taught English as a second language to refugees. I wrote and edited a book of family devotionals. I was responsible for developing and implementing the curriculum for the children's ministries in our churches in Africa. I trained couples to lead those children's ministries. I raised children in foreign countries and they thrived. I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and made it to the top! When we came back to the United States, I wrote another book of family devotionals. I became a pharmacy technician. I helped Tom open a pharmacy. I learned the names of more drugs than I even knew existed - the real names of the medicines and not just the brand names. And I know more about supplements than I ever thought I would or could or should. I learned how to run a business. I now manage our business and personal finances - me, the journalist!
Don't get me wrong. I'm not bragging on me. Sometimes I have even felt sorry for myself and thought it was unfair that I always followed Tom and didn't get to "do what I wanted." But look what God has done with me! I could never have planned all that stuff. I would never have pushed myself to learn so many new things. I like being comfortable. I like playing it safe. I am forever grateful that God worked out every detail so that Tom and I ended up together. You see, I married an adventurer and it has made all the difference!
Tom turned 55 this week. He's an amazing man. He has and continues to lead our family to be close to God and close to each other. We often marvel about how wonderful it is that we really like each other - we aren't just a family that "has" to spend time together. We enjoy each other's company a lot. I believe a big part of that is because of the kind of husband and father Tom is.
Tom was always adventurous. He spent two weeks with a friend in the White Mountains when he was 15. Fifteen! Before cell phones. Two boys on a mountain, hiking alone for two weeks. Lightning hit the cabin they were sleeping in one night. He and the same friend spent another week canoeing down the Connecticut River the summer after they graduated from high school. They often camped in freezing temperatures. He had wild adventures with his uncles and his sister and brother in law in Germany when he was a young adult.
Moving to Kenya was just another in a long list of adventures for Tom. The same cannot be said of me. I moved to New York City and any one who knew me then would say that was a big step for me. My dad actually had to talk me into following through with my plans to work there for the summer. Before that my life was pretty tame. And for years after that move, I was content to move around short distances, living in New York and New Jersey. No one could have convinced me that I would vacation in Africa, let alone live there. Once Tom came into my life, things began to change. First, I moved to Philadelphia. Then...
When Tom and I started dating, I knew he wanted to move to Africa. I had expressed an interest in Africa myself. Someone suggested that the only reason I was interested in Africa was because I was interested in Tom. I felt indignant at the time, but there was a lot of truth in her comment. Tom and I were older when we started dating. We had both been disciples for several years. Our romance was short, but the friendship was built slowly - I wasn't one to easily give my heart. Over time he had become my "Mr. Fix-It." Tom always knew what to do and I had begun to rely on his advice and expertise in many things. So shortly after we started dating, I knew... I loved him and I was ready to follow him anywhere. I trusted him. He was a man of integrity and he put God first in his life. He was trustworthy and went out of his way to help others. He was a gentleman and a gentle man. He also loved kids and was kind to animals. A girl notices those things...
Here's the thing. Marrying Tom has stretched my life in so many ways. I have lived in 3 African cities. I taught English as a second language to refugees. I wrote and edited a book of family devotionals. I was responsible for developing and implementing the curriculum for the children's ministries in our churches in Africa. I trained couples to lead those children's ministries. I raised children in foreign countries and they thrived. I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and made it to the top! When we came back to the United States, I wrote another book of family devotionals. I became a pharmacy technician. I helped Tom open a pharmacy. I learned the names of more drugs than I even knew existed - the real names of the medicines and not just the brand names. And I know more about supplements than I ever thought I would or could or should. I learned how to run a business. I now manage our business and personal finances - me, the journalist!
Don't get me wrong. I'm not bragging on me. Sometimes I have even felt sorry for myself and thought it was unfair that I always followed Tom and didn't get to "do what I wanted." But look what God has done with me! I could never have planned all that stuff. I would never have pushed myself to learn so many new things. I like being comfortable. I like playing it safe. I am forever grateful that God worked out every detail so that Tom and I ended up together. You see, I married an adventurer and it has made all the difference!
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