by Andrea Guingrich
January. There's always a sadness that hangs over our household as we take down our Christmas decorations, cease to play Christmas carols, pluck the Christmas lights out of the landscaping, and pack it all away in boxes. It's the dark, cold nights without the twinkle lights; the booked calendars that once were cleared for friends and family; pop music replacing the Hallelujah chorus in shopping malls. January, back to reality. Thankfully, as a believer the joy of Christmas surrounds us always, but there is something special and sweet about that season when everything else comes to a halt and everyone joins together and acknowledges that one December that God did what He said He would do- because of His GREAT love, He GAVE Himself, He entered into our world to save us. Praise God we have that good news to dwell on before we find ourselves in a new year and hit the ground running.
I was contemplating all of this today and came to the conclusion that I felt much the same way about moving onto the next chapter of our lives after seminary. Seminary was a special season where we cleared our calendar of all commitments. Traever's career as an engineer and mine as a Realtor came to a screeching halt as we prepared to move across the country. Traever buckled down and devoted his time to study, and I poured my time into raising, teaching, and simply enjoying concentrated time with the kids. I've felt the urge to post a picture of Traever's graduation for some time but haven't been able to come up with the thousand words that picture represents. There was a sweetness to that season that has been hard to put into words. So here's a feeble attempt to convey how God used seminary to grow me in my worship and love of Him and in my love for the souls that God's placed around me.
I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to audit a class at seminary and sit in on panel discussions on campus with Traever. It was really fun to enter into his world a bit and an incredible privilege to learn from some of the best seminary professors there are. But since my time on campus was very limited I'm really glad that God used all kinds of ways to teach and mature my faith outside of the classroom in the every day ordinariness of life.
Growth was in the struggles and joys of spending every waking moment surrounded by my four little ones- realizing that I didn't have all that my kids needed, recognizing and appreciating Traever's time more, and seeing how desperately I needed God's grace and strength to simply love and serve my family.
“Growth was in the lonesome days when I felt alone and longed for my long established friends “back home” and then remembered that Christ had already called me his friend. “
Growth was in the lonesome days when I felt alone and longed for my long established friends “back home” and then remembered that Christ had already called me his friend (John 15:15) and knowing that no one could be any nearer nor should there be anyone dearer to me (Psalm 139:7-12).
Growth was turning my heart from longing to be back in the little white cape cod on Kansas Avenue that Traever and I had called home for 10 years to longing for my eternal, indestructible, dwelling with Jesus.
Growth was counting the cost and knowing it was worth it. It was seeing all of the long, hard, laborious hours that Traever poured into study and recalling how Christ left the glories of heaven, entered into our dark sin-stained world, fought sin and lived a perfect life, died in our place and rose on the 3rd day just as the scriptures said, and because of all of this our labors would never be in vain.
Growth was a result of beautiful friendships that God brought into our lives. Friends that we did not expect nor deserve who loved us so sacrificially and joyfully in Christ-likeness. Friends that challenged us, and encouraged us to remember and rejoice in Christ, and showed us by example how to love others well. Friends who became our family, mentors, and confidants that we will be able to turn to for decades to come.
Growth was learning from and being encouraged by how our little church (Christ Reformed Baptist) of 60 some believers rallied around each other, encouraged each other in the gospel, and were willing to invest in the ever-revolving door of seminary students who were there for 2-4 years and gone. Realizing that their investment in every student would have a lasting impact on future ministries.
Growth was in experiencing the hospitality of professors and their wives who welcomed students into their homes and lives year in and year out. For Christmas brunches at the Godfreys'. Thanksgiving and St. Patty's dinners at the Renihans'. Easter brunch at the Glomsruds'. Westminster Women's events at the Feskos'. Pastor's wives and professor's wives who were willing to share their wisdom, experience, and knowledge from years walking alongside their husbands as they served in the local church. Growth was gleaning from the community of seminary wives around me. It was seeing how vital relationships are in the church and recognizing that they are worth investing in.
“Growth was in experiencing the hospitality of professors and their wives who welcomed students into their homes and lives year in and year out. “
Growth happened as I learned how to learn. Figuring out how best to use what spare time I had, which sometimes meant listening to the Bible, sermons, or lectures while doing dishes after the kids were in bed because I would fall asleep the minute I sat down. It was learning from Traever and appreciating how he redeemed our travel time by listening to lectures and books and how he was willing to engage and answer whatever questions I came up with.
Growth was witnessing and being encouraged by the hospitality of my sister and her husband who allowed us to stay with them over summers when we had no where else to go. They rearranged their home for us and acted like we weren't the inconvenience that we were. Their love and hospitality proclaimed Christ's love to our family more than they know.
Growth was getting to be a part of internships over the summers at both Bethany Baptist Church in Peoria, IL as well as Hope Reformed Baptist Church in Tinley Park, IL. It was sensing the weightiness of the task of preaching/teaching and humbly recognizing that it's God who opens ears and hearts, and changes lives. Growth was getting to know brothers and sisters of all different backgrounds and rejoicing in lives transformed by the Gospel. Growth was being challenged and encouraged by how well our brothers and sisters at BBC and HRBC loved and prayed for us while we were away at school.
Seminary was a sweet and sanctifying season and it was sad to see draw it to a close. But it's now January, our feet are back on Illinois soil and our hands are on the plough. We're back in the little white cape cod on Kansas Avenue. Back near family. Back with our Bethany Baptist Church family. Back with long established friends, forging new ones with new neighbors and within the Church too. Traever is now a Pastoral Intern at Bethany and is teaching Systematic Theology at the Gospel Institute, preaching on Bradley University's campus with CRU, teaching and investing himself in the college class at church, leading a Bible Study, and hosting gatherings when our family is able. I'm by his side, surrounded by our little posse of kids and trying to fix my eyes on King Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith.
