The Earring

Book 4 Part 2

For David, the phone call was affirmation that God's hand was involved in this opportunity. I was still unconvinced.

"They have to follow up," I told him. "You sent them a resume."

David became increasingly confident that God was leading him towards the teaching position. I was still skeptical. After two more weeks of intense prayer, a letter from the college came. It asked David to come for an interview. They would pay travel costs. They gave him some potential dates and indicated that someone would make a follow-up call to finalize plans.

"You haven't told the church," I said. "How are you going to go without arousing suspicion?"

"Maybe I just need to tell them," he said.

"Not yet," I said. "Don't burn your bridges. I'm sure the college has a lot of good candidates. I'm going to ask God to provide a way for you to go without the church knowing."

"Whatever," he replied with a shrug.

The next day a pastor from Billings called and asked David to come to his church and preach a revival. Daddy had given the man David's name as a prospective revival preacher. The date he suggested coincided with one of the potential dates provided by the college. I was beginning to think that my own father was a traitor.

David took this as another sign of God's moving. I took it as a sign that God was keeping him from burning his local bridges. He now had a reason for going to Montana that was not guaranteed to make our church members worry that he was looking for another job.

David was increasingly certain that God was leading to Montana. I was even more resistant to the possibility. I explained to him that the winters in Montana were beyond his ability to comprehend, with howling winds, blizzards, and frozen rivers. I told him about men freezing their lungs trying to run from the car to the house in 40 below temperatures. I reminded him of a recent news story about a whole family that froze to death in a stalled car during a snowstorm.

I even enlisted Nicole. She told David that she didn't want him to take her grandbabies to such an inhospitable clime and one so far from grandma. She even asked her pastor to pray that God wouldn't call David to Montana.

When the time came for the revival and the interview, my campaign of discouragement had failed to dent his enthusiasm.

Upon his return, he told me the interview went well. Not only had the trustees been pleased with his credentials and his interview, they had attended the revival to hear him preach. They told him that his message was powerful, and it also showed good organizational skills and development.

"If they offer me the job, I'm going to accept, Syd," he said. "I'm certain this is what God wants me to do."

I was miserable. That night I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Finally I decided to take a cue from Gideon and put out a proverbial fleece. I told myself that I wanted to be absolutely sure that God was speaking, so I chose a fleece that was practically impossible.

"God," I prayed, "if you want us to go to Montana, then let David offer to get up with the boys in the morning and let me sleep."

David was a good Dad, but his mind didn't function until doused with at least two cups of coffee. He wasn't prepared to interact with his sons early in the morning. Occasionally he would get up with the boys, but only if I were deathly ill or if I begged and pleaded and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. He had never once voluntarily gotten up with the boys.

The next morning I heard my usual alarm, Zach calling, "Mommy, I'm hungry."

Remembering my prayer, I ignored Zach, thinking I'd give God a chance to rouse David. Zach called again, "Mommy."