Seeking God:

My Life through the Years

(Part No. 4)

Age 24-25

As we have come to the end of our first through third installments, let me mention this as a quick review. I had been baptized (immersed) in the little stream (we called it a “creek” or, in Pennsylvania, we called it a “crick”!). I was now a baptized (so I thought) young man of sixteen, My life was before me and I began to read, pray, and study as never before. This was only a week or so before eleventh grade in high school and I approached this with much trepidation.

When I was twenty-two, I began work at Lancaster General Hospital for about eight months until I lost my job. Four months later, I moved to Wooster, Ohio, and began work at the Wooster General Hospital where I spent the remaining year and four months of the required two years that the government imposed on us. This meant that I was “released” by October of 1967 when I was twenty-four years of age.

By God’s grace, I found employment in eastern Pennsylvania where I did laboratory work for a friend I had come to know. This place was on a farm in the country (at Ivan and Alma’s place), was somewhat unusual but it provided an ideal location for what God was calling me to do. Of course, it was quiet and the cattle made few sounds! I stayed in a tiny room in the barn where the lab equipment was located. Each Lord’s day a few families arrived to meet for worship in the barn and I taught a few times before this little group.

The work required little training, thus after the lab work I was able to continue my study in the small office adjoining the lab. My library was meaningful for it gave me the opportunity to read and learn and grow in knowledge. At this time, the car I was driving didn’t continue for it couldn’t pass inspection. I was now without transportation. I had saved a little money and was then able to use this to purchase a used car (a 1960 Ford) at an auction and then prepared the auto for the travels that I had envisioned. Step by step the Lord was leading me—at least I assumed.

Regularly (daily) I worked on the car, ripping out the inside and equipping not only the front and back but the trunk. I had a place to lay down and sleep toward the right since I knew that my finances would be very small and I surely couldn’t afford any motels or hotels. Further, I knew very few along the way. I had collected many tracts to distribute along the journey and these I packed away in the auto. When I left the lab, I stopped at my parents’ place in western Pennsylvania where I spent much time finishing the job of preparing the car and collecting the literature. Finally, the job was completed and the date of departure was before me. The time of leaving would be about August or September. Thus I drove to the west before my actual departure. This was after I said farewell to my friends (or fellow-believers) at the lab. It was an eventful but difficult time. Would God bless my efforts? Would He show where He wanted me to go? I was convinced that He would.

During my time at the lab (in the country) I had read anything that would prepare me for what lie ahead. I tried to know a little about the United States for (as you know) I had planned to visit all fifty states. To recap, I was planning to travel and explore for some six months, then find a location in the woods for a year so I could be involved in intense study of Scripture, then I had planned to again travel the country for a half year, after which I would begin my life work of preaching, teaching, and eventually traveling to other countries with the gospel.

I know that some would say that my plans were bizarre. They would warn me about traveling alone, using a older, used car, and not having reliable transportation. They would probably say that it was extreme or at least unwise to travel many miles—actually thousands of miles—in an older car across the entire country. And it may be good to remember that this was in the very center of the war (the Viet Nam War). Further, this was the year (1967) in which sodomy first made the news (the Stonewall event in New York City in which the LGBT movement emerged.)

Further, of course, Bible reading and prayer had been declared unlawful only about four years earlier. Abortion was also in the news and finally became legal a few years later (in 1973). Also, the drug culture arrived with the soldiers from “Nam” and the East. (Beginning about this time, the whole country was changed by these unlawful and evil drugs.) It was also at this time, that the “race” riots were coming, especially in Chicago but in other locations as well. All of this was happening and some may say that this made such an ambitious trip unadvisable. Actually, it seemed that these factors didn’t concern me much. Further, at least part of this time I was in a conservative area—though eventually I did reach out into many other areas, Thus I departed for my long, long travels that fall (September, 1967). And I earnestly wanted to learn of God and do His will at all costs!

Hopefully, God will enable me to return to this series shortly. This brings us to the end of my governmental service (they called this 1-W work) and the beginning of being “free” to pursue my “dream.” Will you join me?