WELL, SOMETHING HAPPENED chapter 59

I loved the summer camp experience of my first semester. Getting to know the students and having fun was certainly a blast. How do you forget the people you lived with? Believe me, I’ve tried.

I had mixed emotions about connecting too deeply since my plan was not to return, That was Al’s plan, so it was also mine. But something happened along the way. God started to get hold of my heart, and it wasn’t very gradual. I felt like God was beating me up nearly everyday. Scripture says, ““My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, 
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Hebrews 12:5-6.

I was way to busy trying to protect myself from all God’s discipline to be taking it lightly. I must have been one of His sons and a bad one at that. He would not leave me alone. It felt like He was talking directly to me in nearly every class, chapel, and missions meeting and through the many speakers that visited campus. Even dorm meetings got to me. None of that stopped the arguing I did with God. I was still ticked at the legalism abounding in the name of God. I still could not find all those silly rules in Scripture. But I did believe God wanted me to knuckle under. I’m not sure I felt the call of God that year, but I was developing a strong sense that I should come back for a full year. I really couldn’t tell anyone why I thought that. I still thought a lot of expectations were rather silly, but I had a sense that I would be a better person and stronger person if I just lived with it.

I tried to do that most of the time. Using the tired old excuse that, “I’m only human,” I did have my failures.

I had a few dates while there. I believe the rules clearly said no dating for the first semester. Well, it was my first semester, but the eyes were not on me as everyone else was now permitted to date.

I took up with a cute girl from Ontario. We met for the free time at the evening Tuck Shop. We never connected at breakfast, which was another time “couples” could be together. Honestly I still did not see the need to get up to eat two hours before a class. We had a couple of real dates. One was with the Tuck Shop girl and her “boyfriend.” We had a good time and I tried not to think about the other guys date.

As the semester neared the end, Mr. Tarr, the music director approached me about driving my car for the school choir tour, which would begin right after the year ended. It was only to be a three week tour and covered a lot of territory. I began dreaming of a free tour around Western Canada, but I had a passenger to take back to Omaha. I also had a job waiting. Believe it or not, the shoe store wanted me back, even after I walked away from a managers job. They were still working on the goal of opening 500 new stores by the end of the year.
Al and I had a long talk and he encouraged me to take the opportunity. He would find another way home. I was never really sure I was doing the right thing. I felt guilty abandoning him like that.  But I agreed to drive for the tour. My responsibility would be to drive and run the projector for a slip presentation. At least I felt useful. All I had to do was advance the slide when a little bell rang. It was a mindless task.
I could see the country, hang out with friends, and write letters while the choir sang. I say also read books, but I wasn't in  to that then. The only problem was explaining to a few housing hosts who didn’t remember seeing me me in the choir. Sorry, I was only a driver. There were a few fun loving people that I tried to convince that I was up there over on the left, third from the end. That really confused them. I could not pass up the opportunity to have a little fun, but confession is good for the soul. I never left the hanging.
I guess we had a few stops in Saskatchewan before we reached Edmonton. It was there I could see the Rockies. To me, that is what Canada should look like, not like Regina in winter. But Regina in summer in beautiful. Wascana, the Parliament building, the home of the RCMP. Very cool stuff.
Now for a few pictures for my American friends. Sorry, not snow pictures, I want you to see it as i knew it for the ten years I lived there. First the map.  Regina is located approximately 100 mile north of Minot, North Dakota. I could never effectively explain this to my mother, but while the temperatures were lower than Omaha, it was not as cold. That’s because it was a dry cold while the Omaha cold went right through you. The bad part was that the winters lasted way too long.
A slight look into the future. I graduate and come back to the city several years later,

Two views of the Parliament Building in Wascana Park, front (top) and back (bottom) with the city in the background

Home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. I had season tickets on the unroofed side.

These are the Mounties as Washington residents see them. A contingent comes to every policeman's funeral we have, and recently there have been several.

The wheat fields of gold that surround the city each fall.

The Museum of Natural History.