Sandy suggested this idea last spring. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was willing.
That’s a yellow, Can-Am Spyder RT. You see Sandy’s face in the mirror. This is her bike!
Yes, I’m interrupting our current series which is rather heavy in order tell a story. A true story. Well, an episode within the life-stories of three ladies who were friends in high school. Fifty years have passed since we graduated. Yes, yes, I’m one of the three. Yes, yes, I’m that old! Get me on Sandy’s bike? Ha! And what do you think?
Sandy moved to Fremont, Ohio with her family right before her sophomore year. My parents and I moved there before my junior year. (My sister went off to college.) Since Sandy and I did not grow up in Fremont, it was not important to us to attend our reunion, so Sandy suggested that we two plus another friend from our class create our own friendship reunion — a three girl retreat.
And so we did. Just two weeks ago.
Paula made our third person. She did grow up in Fremont, so she attended the class reunion in August. Paula liked Sandy’s idea and even agreed to the location that she suggested — Karen’s house in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A good deal for me!
Sandy (less than 5 feet tall) drove up from Anderson, South Carolina on her yellow, three-wheeled motor bike, a 12 hour trip she did in one day. Gutsy is her middle name, and everyone knows it. Paula drove over from Columbus, Ohio, a 3 1/2 hour trip, in her truck — a big, black Silverado. Paula’s a can-do woman who lived until recently on a horse ranch and still has horses. Hmm, and then there’s wimpo me! I have to summon up discipline and bravery to walk around my beautiful block. Sore legs, ankles, and feet (and whatever) talk back to me: “You really don’t want to do that, do you?! Sit down!” No wonder these wonder women traveled to my house!
Sandy, Paula, and Karen. What a mix.
How long has it been since you graduated from high school? Amazing, isn’t it? Well, we three “retreated” from Sunday afternoon to Wednesday morning. I was surprised and I wasn’t surprised. It was not what I expected, although I did not know what to expect, since I hadn’t seen Paula in over 45 years and nearly 50 years since all three of us were together. How would we do together? And what would it mean?
Sandy and Paula.
Sandy arrived first and settled in her room, and Paula arrived a half hour later. Since they arrived by 2:00 on Sunday afternoon, we had a lot of day left to re-connect. We hugged and chattered away in the kitchen area. I had made a large apple crisp, using organic apples from Aunt Mary’s big apple tree you read about in the previous post. A yummy start for our retreat. My husband, Paul, met Paula for the first time. Sandy and I have kept up a close friendship over all these years, and her husband, Bill, who graduated to glory in March of 2020, and Paul had built a congenial friendship over the years.
We all worked together on meal preparation, and Paul enjoyed being a part of it.
Paula and Sandy each became Christians in high school and began attending the young church that my dad was pastoring. We called it The Chapel. Grace Brethren Home Missions, as it was then called, asked my father to re-open a church on the east side of Fremont in 1969 where there was this little brick church building that the Brethren owned but was no longer used. We commuted from Bowling Green to Fremont for two years, and then moved to Fremont my junior year in high school. I loved being a part of this ministry and spending time with my dad in ministry.
.
My dad prayer-walked around the church regularly and also walked various streets in Fremont, praying and talking to anyone who was friendly with him. One day he met this skinny, tall teen (6’4″ or 6′ 5″ tall) whose blond hair frizzed out in a full Afro. He stood out in a crowd. A “druggy,” he was a sophomore in high school, I believe. My dad shared the gospel with this guy and he got saved, invited his hippy friends to our little chapel, and “the Jesus revolution” came to the Chapel and to Fremont. In a short time our church had some 75 teens, more teens for a while than adults. The movement in Fremont wasn’t isolated to our little church; certainly God used the movement and our church to redeem and begin to disciple many young people as well as to encourage many older Christians.
.
One of the first things Sandy asked us was “Have you watched The Jesus Revolution movie? “Yes!” we replied. Enthusiastically she responded, “That was us! We were a part of that!” And so we were. The movement crossed the country. Paula, Sandy, and I talked about a number of our young friends from this time and where some of them are now…. Many of those young people who are now old are still loving and serving the Lord in many capacities.
.
The Chapel started Bible quizzing for the teens (a program the Grace Brethren had for teens all around the country), which became a vibrant, youth ministry. All three of us quizzed, and Paula and I each became team captains. We studied together and competed against teams from other churches. One year we quizzed over the books of Romans and Galatians. The next year we quizzed over the book of John. Youth meetings and quiz practices were held in the big home of Floyd and Ann Waggoner — joyful, Spirit-filled parents and youth leaders who are now in Glory. Their house was across the street from the Rutherford B. Hayes home/museum in Fremont. What an historic neighborhood, and what memories we gathered those years.
Making a delicious lunch together.
Most of our girls’ retreat time together was spent in my kitchen sitting room area and in the kitchen. Paul grilled salmon and vegetables the first evening, and we had a meal outside on our patio. We took a pleasant walk around my wooded neighborhood with all these different and interesting houses to look at while we caught up on each other’s lives.
.
We graduated from high school in 1973. Paula and Sandy each got married in 1975, over five years before Paul and I were married. Paula has a daughter and son and one grandson. She has been divorced twice and has been single for the last eleven years. Through it all, she has turned to the Lord, accepting Him as her husband and protector.
.
Paula, a horse lover and owner, created a ministry for girls through the avenue of her horses. Paula’s website explains her ministry:
.
“I have been working with kids for 35 years. I love serving God through horses. I was previously located in Johnstown, Ohio and called my farm Coley Corral. I have now moved to Alexandria, Ohio and am rebranding things to Coley Connections, connecting people to Christ and horses. I host Christian camps and horse clubs for girls….”
.
As Paula talked about her ministry, I could see that she is like a come-along-side mother or grandmother to these girls, sharing God’s Word with them, blending in wise counsel as she trains the girls to care for and ride horses and to work together as a team. Paula has been through much heart-ache, which prepares her to understand and help girls from all sorts of backgrounds.
.
Sandy and Bill were married for almost 45 years before Bill’s weak heart finally gave way. They have four sons and eleven grandchildren. Sandy has been very involved with her grandchildren. She is a Nurse Practitioner for CVS clinics, and wow, does she have the stories. It is amazing all the opportunities Sandy finds and takes to point people to Jesus. Her work is a ministry, which ministers to her while she’s ministering to others. She also has led Bible studies (including my Bible study on suffering and joy) at the Grace Fellowship church in Anderson, SC (another church founded by my dad). Sandy and Bill moved from Fremont, Ohio to Anderson in order to be a part of the ministry. My dad moved on to Florida, but they stayed there, where most of their children and grandchildren still live.
.
I loved hearing Sandy’s and Paula’s stories about their families, their ministries, and their work. Both are going strong and are not retired. I’ve been retired for years. I think that they encouraged and challenged me (just by their example) to up my game, even though I’m retired. I am old, I feel old, but I can do more. I believe that the Lord wants me to be more disciplined, waste less time, and focus on some more goals — a step at a time, while still pacing myself.
.
I think of Colossians 3:17, and 23-24:
Verse 17 says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Then verses 23-24 challenge us: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
“Whatever you do…”; “work heartily.” All your work is for the Lord. For the Christian, there is no such thing as something “secular” (note the series that this post is interrupting). All is sacred, and I know this. But I don’t always live it.
.
On the last full day of their visit, Paul escorted us in his cream-colored Ford F 150 (so roomy and comfortable) to a little town outside of Fort Wayne named Roanoke, a thirty minute trip. We had reservations to eat at the Parker Grace Tea Room, which is a brick, Victorian house with white trim turned into a tea room and gift shop. Even Paul likes to eat their. As Paul declares, “Real men eat quiche.”
Karen, Sandy, and Paul at The Parker Grace Tea Room and Gift Shop in Roanoke, Indiana.
Our lunches were scrumptious and the ambiance delightful.
Paul’s quiche is gone! He thought it was almost as good as his wife’s. What else could he say? And he really enjoyed his pot of herbal peach tea.
After our delightful time at the tea room and gift shop, Paul drove us to the little shops on Main Street, just a few blocks from the Victorian tea room. We strolled from shop to shop, taking our time looking over the wares and goods. Both ladies bought some special things to take home. Paul patiently enjoyed the whole thing, looking over merchandise himself. (I suppose some of you may not believe this of a man, but it’s true.)
Sandy left Ft. Wayne at 8:30 on Wednesday morning and arrived home in Anderson, SC after midnight (12:30) that night! Gutsy girl — because she’s a praying girl and a cautious driver!
.
After Sandy left on Wednesday morning, Paula and I visited and prayed together before she left at around 10:00 that morning. The girls had arrived Sunday afternoon. We only had a few days together, but each of us was enriched by our time together. The girls want to do it again, maybe in two years, but maybe in one. We’ll see.
.
After the ladies returned home I talked to each of them about our experience together. Paula emailed me the following response.
.
“In our [time together recently] I was struck at God’s faithful love to each of us. In the midst of great joys of marriage, family and accomplishments, and also sorrows of broken relationships, divorce and death, the Lord was faithful to each of us to carry us through and deepen our understanding and appreciation of the salvation so freely offered and accepted by each of us. Recalling our salvation experiences and the time of Bible quiz team from our teens, and then the paths each of us took which were so different, the Lord was faithfully there with us. That was so reassuring that He will be with each of us until we are taken to our eternal home.”
.
I talked with Sandy on the phone, and she listed a number of her insights and highlights, which I jotted down in a journal. She felt that because of our history with each other, even though the three of us had not been together for decades, we flowed together smoothly and experienced “close Christian fellowship.” We shared so many stories and perspectives with each other. In talking about our local churches in which we are involved, Sandy was inspired by a discipleship plan that Paula’s church uses, which Sandy would like to try at her church. It is a Read through the Bible discipleship plan, where clusters of just two or three people read through the Bible in a year or so, then break out to start their own three-somes and read with another little group. Jesus had his twelve, but also his inner group of three.
.
I gave each lady a prayer guide that our church had just started called 40 Days of Prayer: A Guidebook for the Journey. Sandy was looking forward to using this. Riding her motorcycle home, Sandy said she “felt God on her front, back, right, and left.” She called it a “prayerful and safe” trip.
.
I think that during our time together, we inspired each other because we were witnessing each other leaning upon the Lord (Proverbs 3: 5-6).
I am thankful for this three lady, 50th high school reunion retreat. We retreat in order to advance.
.
In the ten days since the ladies have been gone, I have observed that I’ve been listening to God’s quiet voice lead me to use my time better as a retired Christian woman, wasting less time, and staying more focused. I still have to have down time between activities, and I never know when I’ll run out of gas, or when some Fibromyalgia spell will say, “That’s it!” But, as I’ve witnessed the vivacity of my 68 year old friends, I think that maybe I can keep on keeping on, even though I can’t do what they can do. I can do what I can do, so I need to do it.
.
The Scriptures say “whatever you do.” (Col 3:17). Whatever is anything you can do, if it can be done in the name of the Lord, then do so.
.
“And whatever you do…do everything in the name of the Lord, giving thanks….”
.
Both Paul and I had quiche. Rich and yummy. Almost as good as the quiche I make! “Whatever.”
.
Thank You, Lord!
Discover more from Journey North Character
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Journey North Character 
What a beautiful post about high school friends – cheers to y’all!
Thank you!
What a great blessing you could all be together and it ministered to each of you. God bless you and Paul! Bev
Thank you, Bev!!