It was eight years ago that we moved from Hallsville to Marshall to live behind my parents on 100 beautiful acres. I grew up playing, fishing, riding go-carts and hunting on this land. Even though I only lived here until I was three, it was always home to me. Jason and I started out our marriage here in 1995 but ventured away from Marshall on two different occasions. Somehow, we always end up right back where we started.
We knew when we moved from Hallsville in 2003 that we would have to figure out a way for our kids to go to Hallsville schools. Marshall schools were not an option for us. We had decided that we would either put the boys in private school or home school before we sent them to Marshall. We found out a couple of years later that if one of us worked at Hallsville, our boys could go to school there. So, that is where our search for jobs at HISD began!
Jason and I both worked at Texas Bank & Trust in the Technology department. It was a little crazy working together but we loved it. We decided that Jason would be the one to seek employment at HISD since I had been with the bank for 8 years. He got his CDL and two weeks before Edison started Kindergarten, he got a job as a bus driver! We didn't care at that point because we had just secured Edison a spot at HISD. We were so excited. It wasn't too much longer after that, that I got a job as the high school registrar. Jason was offered a full time position as a Behavior Assistant at the high school within the month of school starting. We both loved it. Life was grand! Broke, but grand! We had cut our salaries in half to go to work for the school but being on the kids schedules and having them at Hallsville was worth it to us.
We have had some changes since then, as most of you know. Financially we had to make some changes so that I could stay at home. Jason became a fireman/paramedic and I quit to stay home with Jamison the year before he started Kindergarten and I had to drive a part time bus route to keep the boys in school. During this time, the bus route became so stressful that I didn't think I would be able to do it any longer. I decided to go back to school to become a nurse and knew that eventually I would no longer be able to drive my route. We prayed almost everyday for God to give us some direction and let us know what to do about our boys' education. This went on for 8 years altogether! There was not a day that went by that we didn't talk about it, pray about it or just get angry about it.
When Jason went through a really rough time at MFD, the school called him and offered him a job as a Behavior Assistant again. He accepted the job and was back at the school. We thought our boys' education was secure again. But, low and behold, our schools financial situation through us for a loop. They could not guarantee Jason a job for the 11-12 school year and I had been accepted to nursing school for the fall. Here we were again...how will we keep the boys in Hallsville?! I was so sick and tired of worrying about it because of where we lived! I didn't want to talk about it or pray about it anymore. I just wanted an answer from God. Where was He? What was taking so long? Isn't 8 years of praying long enough???!
May 19th we got an answer! For the first time in history our school board decided to take out of district transfers! I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN! I cried as Jason read me the letter from Paula Rogers. They had decided to take transfers to help the school out financially. WOW! Who would of thought that something good could come out of our school's financial problems. Some of you may not think it is not good but for the Sutton house, we are ecstatic. This was an answer to an 8 year long prayer. I finally have peace and assurance for my boys' education and will never have to worry about it again. I will be able to fulfill a life long dream of becoming a nurse and if my husband's job is terminated because of our school's money woes, our children will not have to be uprooted from all they know.
I write all of this to let you know that God does answer prayers. It is in His time and it is perfect! Don't give up. Don't stop praying. He will give you an answer. It may not be what you wanted or what you thought it would be but He will. He is a loving and faithful God. I am ashamed that I ever doubted Him and hope that my story is an encouragement to you. Whatever the prayer may be....just keep praying! He will answer. Looking back now, eight years seems like nothing. All those days and nights of worrying were wasted because God was in control the whole time!
Ask and you shall receive, so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy. John 16:24
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Bus Seven from Heaven
I couldn't believe it. I was heading to the bus and realized I had forgotten to write down the Bible verse that I wanted to use for the week. I had clearly read it in my Bible study on Monday of the week before and had it engraved in my mind, or so I thought. I had even looked at it that morning but when I was walking to the bus I drew a blank. I was frantic! Only ten minutes until all of my little varmints came hopping onto the bus looking for the new verse and what I had written on the mirror. I had to come up with something and QUICK! I could not even think. It was my last week and the verse had to be PERFECT. I was so mad at myself that I could have spit nails and the heat did not help the matter one bit.
I swiftly walked to the bus with my husband ignoring everyone in sight on a mission. I was determined to pick out a verse before I pulled down to the lineup. We hopped on the bus, grabbed the Bible, and started skimming that Bible faster than I ever had in any morning devotion ,lol! I think I read more of the Bible in that ten minutes than I had all year. Terrible, I know!
Jason picked out Peter 5:8, which talks about the devil prowling around like a roaring lion. Don't get me wrong, I like the verse, and it would have been great, but it did not quite go with what I wrote on my mirror. I had decided that I was just going to write, "God loves you", without a verse for the last week until I actually GOT to the last week. I knew the kids would be disappointed if they did not have a verse to look up. I sadly had to tell my wonderful husband that verse would not work because it really didn't correlate to, "God loves you". It would have been more for a, "Sit down and shut up", week, lol!!! So we continued flipping, searching and aha, I had it. "Jason, what is the verse about the love is patient stuff", I asked? I needed something to go with loving and not roaring like a lion! Both of us at the same time said, "Corinthians"! We found it! I read through it and it is a lot to read so Jason suggested 1 Corinthians 13:13. It was PERFECT!!!! Even better than my 1 Peter verse. So that was that. I wrote, "God Loves You" really big all across the mirror with the verse next to it. I wanted the kids to know that God does love them for who they are no matter what.
I only had to drive three days that week and one of the days I did not even have my bus. It was selected to go to Splash Kingdom with my son's UIL team. I was sad that I had to drive an old spare bus but excited that other kids were getting to ride number 7 from Heaven, as Cyndi Stump called it! I think I like that. My bus has become famous. Pretty cool! I did not get a report from her if any of the kids mentioned anything about it but I know they saw the message. So for that I was grateful!
The last week with the kids was really great. I didn't have as many kids each day because of different activities going on and parents picking them up early. This gave me some extra time to talk to kids that I normally did not get to talk to. I got to talk to two different little boys about church and how God loves them on the last day of school. They had told me that they were going to go home early but no one had picked them up so I spent the last ten minutes of the bus ride talking to them. I also got to tell most everyone on the bus that week at some time that God loves them. Although the week was EXTREMELY hot, the Lord saw me through each day and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. As each child left on that last day I said, "Have a great summer and stay out of trouble"! Each one said, "Bye, Mrs. Sutton" and some said, "I'll miss you Mrs. Sutton". It really touched my heart knowing that I touched their lives enough in the past eight weeks that they were actually going to miss me. It was bittersweet for me because there are some kids that will move and I will never see again, others are graduating and others will just simply not ride next year for various reasons. Also, I am unsure of what my future holds for driving the bus since I have been accepted into nursing school in the Fall at UT Tyler Longview. I have yet to see my schedule but find myself hoping that I will still be able to drive bus 7 from Heaven! Crazy, I know. I never thought I would say that.
God has changed me these last eight weeks and I am very grateful for that. He brought life into perspective and my mission into light. I hope that I was pleasing in His eyes by the things I said and did toward each child. My hope is that I planted a seed for each child no matter their age and hope that they begin to seek Jesus and His plan for their life. Each child has their own story and is special in God's eyes. We just have to take the time to get to know them and encourage them. However, eight weeks was not long enough. I feel that there are so many things left unsaid and things that I should have done. Why didn't I do it sooner? Why didn't I hug each child when they left that last day? Why didn't I give them something to take with them to remind them of Christ this summer? Why, Why, Why? I do not have the answers to the things left undone but Christ will see to it that each child will find His love. He used me for planting a seed and hopefully, I will be able to water that seed next year and help it grow and mature into a beautiful child of God.
I encourage you to seek and use every opportunity with each child you come in contact with. It may be the only Jesus they ever see. We are called to go out and, "make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19, but it has to start somewhere, right?! Well, mine started with bus 7 from Heaven and until that is fulfilled for Christs' glory, my nation is right here in Hallsville, TX at HISD on bus 7. Find your nation and go to work!
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
I swiftly walked to the bus with my husband ignoring everyone in sight on a mission. I was determined to pick out a verse before I pulled down to the lineup. We hopped on the bus, grabbed the Bible, and started skimming that Bible faster than I ever had in any morning devotion ,lol! I think I read more of the Bible in that ten minutes than I had all year. Terrible, I know!
Jason picked out Peter 5:8, which talks about the devil prowling around like a roaring lion. Don't get me wrong, I like the verse, and it would have been great, but it did not quite go with what I wrote on my mirror. I had decided that I was just going to write, "God loves you", without a verse for the last week until I actually GOT to the last week. I knew the kids would be disappointed if they did not have a verse to look up. I sadly had to tell my wonderful husband that verse would not work because it really didn't correlate to, "God loves you". It would have been more for a, "Sit down and shut up", week, lol!!! So we continued flipping, searching and aha, I had it. "Jason, what is the verse about the love is patient stuff", I asked? I needed something to go with loving and not roaring like a lion! Both of us at the same time said, "Corinthians"! We found it! I read through it and it is a lot to read so Jason suggested 1 Corinthians 13:13. It was PERFECT!!!! Even better than my 1 Peter verse. So that was that. I wrote, "God Loves You" really big all across the mirror with the verse next to it. I wanted the kids to know that God does love them for who they are no matter what.
I only had to drive three days that week and one of the days I did not even have my bus. It was selected to go to Splash Kingdom with my son's UIL team. I was sad that I had to drive an old spare bus but excited that other kids were getting to ride number 7 from Heaven, as Cyndi Stump called it! I think I like that. My bus has become famous. Pretty cool! I did not get a report from her if any of the kids mentioned anything about it but I know they saw the message. So for that I was grateful!
The last week with the kids was really great. I didn't have as many kids each day because of different activities going on and parents picking them up early. This gave me some extra time to talk to kids that I normally did not get to talk to. I got to talk to two different little boys about church and how God loves them on the last day of school. They had told me that they were going to go home early but no one had picked them up so I spent the last ten minutes of the bus ride talking to them. I also got to tell most everyone on the bus that week at some time that God loves them. Although the week was EXTREMELY hot, the Lord saw me through each day and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. As each child left on that last day I said, "Have a great summer and stay out of trouble"! Each one said, "Bye, Mrs. Sutton" and some said, "I'll miss you Mrs. Sutton". It really touched my heart knowing that I touched their lives enough in the past eight weeks that they were actually going to miss me. It was bittersweet for me because there are some kids that will move and I will never see again, others are graduating and others will just simply not ride next year for various reasons. Also, I am unsure of what my future holds for driving the bus since I have been accepted into nursing school in the Fall at UT Tyler Longview. I have yet to see my schedule but find myself hoping that I will still be able to drive bus 7 from Heaven! Crazy, I know. I never thought I would say that.
God has changed me these last eight weeks and I am very grateful for that. He brought life into perspective and my mission into light. I hope that I was pleasing in His eyes by the things I said and did toward each child. My hope is that I planted a seed for each child no matter their age and hope that they begin to seek Jesus and His plan for their life. Each child has their own story and is special in God's eyes. We just have to take the time to get to know them and encourage them. However, eight weeks was not long enough. I feel that there are so many things left unsaid and things that I should have done. Why didn't I do it sooner? Why didn't I hug each child when they left that last day? Why didn't I give them something to take with them to remind them of Christ this summer? Why, Why, Why? I do not have the answers to the things left undone but Christ will see to it that each child will find His love. He used me for planting a seed and hopefully, I will be able to water that seed next year and help it grow and mature into a beautiful child of God.
I encourage you to seek and use every opportunity with each child you come in contact with. It may be the only Jesus they ever see. We are called to go out and, "make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19, but it has to start somewhere, right?! Well, mine started with bus 7 from Heaven and until that is fulfilled for Christs' glory, my nation is right here in Hallsville, TX at HISD on bus 7. Find your nation and go to work!
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
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