At the age of 50 (with my husband 54), I was enjoying some empty nester years, running two international organizations from my home, had a flexible schedule, good friends, great home and property, could help my husband in ministry, had time to eat right, exercise and be healthy. We went for motorcycle rides, played golf…and then God…
My husband, Mike, and I were looking to relocate to the southeast Kansas area to be closer to his parents who were aging and needing assistance. We knew about Cookson Hills and when we decided to apply for their open houseparent position, we knew it was a long shot due to our age…and then God…
When you are working for God, you go where He says to go and when He says to go. He will give you the heart’s desire for His next assignment and work out the details. We were amazed at how quickly God put all of the pieces together and relocated us from Indiana to Kansas, Oklahoma. We were just three hours from Mike’s parents and now able to visit them during our monthly days off time. They have both since passed, but we were blessed to be able to spend some quality and quantity time with them.
We are now celebrating 10 years of service with Cookson Hills. I refer to myself as a “placed adult” and I am trying to learn what He still needs to teach me as I model Christ and teach our “placed students” in our home. I have definitely learned that I have some “buttons” that I did not know about and wish were not so easily pushed. You are never too old to learn more about yourself or a new and better way of doing something. I now spend my days hanging out with teenagers, helping them realize just how valuable and capable they are and that there is a hope for a future. Days are rarely easy, but our kids are worth it.
While not all of our Cookson kids follow Jesus or have made good choices, we have begun to see many of our kids mature, graduate from college, serve in the military, earn pilots and technical licenses, get married and start families. They are hard working and becoming good moms and dads, making positive contributions to the community in which they live.
A common question I am regularly asked is how have we made it this long and why are we still serving as houseparents at the age of 60 and 64? Simply, God has not yet said, “Go.” When I look back, I can see how God always takes time to prepare me for His next assignment. When God is finished with us here, He will prepare something in advance for us to do elsewhere. I can’t wait to see what the future holds and how these years of intense training will be used…and then God…