A View from the Zoo: part 2

Note: read first A View from the Zoo: part 1

Not that God attacks His own, for I believe that this would be bad theology, but I'm enjoying the metaphor.

Looking back, God began his offensive into my life before I even had a chance to brace myself. He achieved this through several stunning blows into the lives of those around me. The first was the death of acquaintance by cancer - he was young and left behind a wife and three children. A month later a close friend of my father's and a role model to me passed away leaving behind his wife and four college age children. At the end of July as I celebrated the marriage of loved friend from college, cancer struck again and took home my mentor and good friend from college, Bob VanZante. While these passings formed ever narrowing concentric circles around my life, a direct hit was achieved in September when I received an agonizing phone call from one of my closest friends that his beautiful little girl had died suddenly - she was not even a year old.

Seminary is an unconcerned mistress and time does not pause. December came quick and at this point I began to brace. But school progressed, academically I excelled, and I even scheduled an important meeting with a perspective employer during Christmas break. Exciting news arrived two days before Christmas, we found out we were pregnant! It was planned, but I still felt the sharp teeth of responsibility biting down a little tighter as I rolled out of bed the next morning.

My final semester was my lightest, apart from wrapping up my thesis. During this time God continued to bountifully provided through Apartment Life, our faithful donors, and my part time job tutoring. Mid February I began job hunting in earnest. I had a several nibbles a church in MI as an Adult Education Director, a church in IA as a Young Marrieds Pastor, and a church in PA which stood me up for a phone interview. Don't mention this to my wife she is still a little miffed!

Then a month before graduation, I was out flanked and the center of my line threatened to crumble.

[You will have to pardon all of the military metaphor. I have been reading Churchill's History of the English Speaking People and am currently concluding his account of the American Civil War. Probably shouldn't read this right before I go to bed as I think it's effecting my writing.]