Guest: The Desires Of Your Heart

My Life Is Crazy Too is a new series of reader submissions. This is your opportunity to share stories about life, love, and mommyhood to provide understanding, hope, and compassion in the unique situations each of us face every day. If you would like to submit a story to this series, email me at karigib@gmail.com. Today’s crazy guest is Jennifer Campbell. You can follow Jennifer on Facebook here. Post edited by writer, Kathi Woodall. You can check out her blog Grow Barefoot here.

I should have known that I would never have what others would consider a ‘normal’ life. I was always a little different from those around me. Okay, my siblings would say weird! I never worried about being popular, which worked out well, because I never was popular. I had my group of friends, and did the things I wanted to, wore the clothes I liked.

One desire I had as long as I can remember, was to live in a foreign country. Not just to visit, but really live. I also wanted to go and care for the poor, feed the hungry, nurture the sick. This was always a desire of my heart, even before I was a Christian. My grandma used to tease me, and say I was part gypsy, so I just chalked up all those strange desires to that strange part of me.

When I was 17, I enlisted in the Army National Guard, and spent 8 years in it. I loved it. I spent the first part of those years moving around the country, Texas and North Carolina, doing those things I wanted to do. I knew in my heart that there was a God, who was calling me to Him, but I was not ready. I was aware that once I submitted my life to God that it, my life, would no longer be my own. I just wanted to do things my way for a while longer.

Although I would never admit it to anyone, living life my way was losing its shine. There was a deep desire in me to serve God. I caught myself at times singing some of the old hymns. I would stop, because I felt it was not right to sing hymns, living the way I was. I also had a longing to be in a church. I didn’t understand these feelings, so I continued to push them down, and ignore the gentle tugging from God. I dug my heels in, insisting on my way for a little while longer. There was time for God later.

In the fall of 1989, I was in a very serious car accident. On my way home from working the night shift, I apparently fell asleep, and hit a semi truck head on. I was life flighted to Duke University Hospital, where they literally saved my life, and put me back together.

Suddenly, I was unable to do anything I wanted to. I had broken bones and internal injuries. Because of a severally broken leg and arm, I was in a wheelchair for 2 months. My jaw was wired shut. My life was no longer mine. I had to be waited on and helped with the simplest tasks. I couldn’t even eat.

After I was able to walk again, I decided to fly home to KC, to spend time with my family. I planned to be gone for a few weeks, at the most. That was my plan, but I had no idea what God had planned for me!

Within weeks of arriving in KC, my life was completely changed. I found that I really did not want to go back, that I wanted to stay for a while, and go to college. I signed up for some classes, found a job, and moved in with my aunt. I started attending church with her and my uncle. It was at this point that I recognized my need for a Savior.

Another great thing that happened then, I met the love of my life, Bill. We met at church, and fell in love almost immediately. We were married in just under a year. Our son, Jesse, came along, we bought a house, and acquired a dog.

For once, I was leading a pretty normal life, going to church, homeschooling Jesse, teaching Sunday School. I am sure my family was glad to see me settle down! But I would still, on occasion, have the feeling that there was still something more out there waiting for me. But that was silly, right? I was sure that was my old nature trying to assert itself again. Was I in for a surprise!

God was about to grant me the desires of my heart.