Seeking God:

My Life through the Years

Part 16

As I contemplated the whole experience of the past several years, it was somewhat hard. Yet I knew that I needed to leave for it was very stressful and nearly impossible to continue as it turned out to be. As you know from my earlier installments, the following years probably showed the wisdom of this decision. As I sat in the cemetery, it seemed that my decision was made and I prepared for the move.

This is what I did: I stored most of my books, book cases, filing cabinets, and similar items in an empty house across the street from where I was living. With the help of three or four men, I was able to move these items and prepare for the final departure. After leaving Ephrata, the next move was to a final visit with my parents 250 or 300 miles to the west (in western Pennsylvania). After my visit there, I packed the car and left for Texas.

During my rushed visit at my parent’s place I called Southwestern in Fort Worth, Texas, where I hoped to go for further training. I explained my situation and they accepted me. At that time a semister’s charge was only $100 for non-Baptist students but now it is much higher. I took my last walk in the little park down the hill in the woods in Ellport, Pa., and then I left for the south-west.

Much could be said about my trip to get to Texas but I’ll pass on. The day I arrived in this far-away destination, I began running. One other person also was running at the school nearby and he stayed in the large dormitory room that had been given to me. Eventually, this man got his ThD degree and I have no idea where he might be today. Soon I had to move before the beginning of the semester and I found a garage apartment owned by a doctor. This place on Warner Road in Fort Worth was ideal for my needs other than the fact that it was somewhat far from where I intended to be on a daily basis.

Along with this place, I found a job that provided work through two of the nights. It was merely being on the premises and checking on things through the night. I would then, bleary eyed, drive home. I did a lot of intense reading during these long, 12-hour shifts. My main goal was to study the nature of God (and perhaps of Christ Jesus and the Spirit) and understand this much better. Eventually, I wrote up my findings (or I should say, my “preliminary findings”).

After this time with the job and the garage apartment, I moved to a larger rental house in the far south of Fort Worth (on Sheridan Road). Other than being ultra-busy, I was able to accomplish a variety of things. One thing I do remember was that I was able to have contact with some of the children in the neighborhood. In fact, one day I loaded my car and took some to the local zoo downtown! Let me now retrace my steps.

After a stay at these places (the job and the residence), I decided to return to eastern Pennsylvania for my equipment. With the help of some able-bodied men, I loaded a huge rental truck. Two of the young men wanted to go along and they were with me until I reached Fort Worth. I think that they wanted to visit “Six Flags over Texas” but I had convictions regarding this foolishness. They found another means of getting there. I might say that I appreciated their willing hands in unloading the truck along with a young man I had hired for the job. I was now living south of Southwestern in a rental house. It was at this location that I had two or three rooms for books and book cases, for desks and tables, and so forth. I was able to purchase a mimeograph machine (for the younger readers, this was a machine that one could use to reproduce documents).

It seemed that I had what I needed—except time and money! I now had two rooms full of equipment, plus a living room that was totally filled with tables and cassette cases, plus a bedroom. I resumed the publication of “The New Testament Christian—Today.” Or perhaps it was “True Discipleship.” These I mailed to a couple hundred people. Thus I was ultra-busy writing, making copies, collating the literature, and sending the literature out. Of course, I continued my intense studies.

Along with this, I was able to find work in downtown Fort Worth that kept me busy five or six days of the week. Plus I continued going to school, taking three courses (9 hours) of work. In order to save money (of this I had little), I turned off the heat or turned it low, shut off the water heater, and did all that I could to save money. I had a job to do and it must take the priority. As you can see, I was inundated with many activities—the job far away, the house, the literature to produce and distribute, my library, the daily needs of shopping and cleaning, running, etc. I could barely do more—taking nine hours at school, working, running for four to six miles, The job I had did give much time to walk, memorize Scripture, and review Scripture. In time, I was able to memorize some 3,000 verses but this took so much time that I could barely keep up with it! Those of you who have memorized and tried to review many scriptures know what I am referring to at this point.

I had not forgotten my earlier plans, that of traveling the country for two years, and intensely studying Scripture. Sadly, as the time went by, my time was becoming less and less. I was now about ages 35-42 and this bothered me greatly. How could my earnest and fervent prayer be fulfilled of marrying at age 20, studying for two years, and then devoting my life to preaching and teaching and even travel? As time went by, this earlier “dream” became more and more remote, and even virtually impossible.

Several difficulties were encountered. Let do some describing here. After about three years, I lost my job. (I was located in Arlington, Texas, [for the job] at two locations. First, I was working in south Arlington near Cooper Street, working at a small location producing travel trailers for Republic Hensley; second, I was located in the center of Arlington, Texas, along West Division Street producing large mobile homes. Each night I would bring in a box of books and writing materials to read, plus piles of index cards with the verses of the Bible to memorize. Eventually everyone departed for the night. During the night I would walk and walk, memorizing and reviewing hundreds and then thousands of Bible verses. Very tiring work—but very productive.)

But not all was well at all. I lost my house. I lost my income. Now what was I to do? I think this does show the need and advantage of having fellowship—for the benefit of all involved. I had none of this, thus I had to do all things alone. When I lost my job, I went back to school and took many courses that I thought might be helpful in locating work as well as carrying on the Lord’s work.

During one of my morning runs, I came to a deserted house that overlooked a hill. I found out the owner, talked to him, and he thought that it was okay that I move there. It had been deserted and vandalized, plus, on the edge of a cliff, it was somewhat precarious. But I had the place and moved my things there. Of course, I made the large living room into a book and study area. Another room was also a library. Again, I lived without air conditioning (a very difficult experience in the hot Texas summers!). Also, I resumed my publishing work. I got a job downtown Fort Worth, a distance I traveled every day and night. Although my schooling was ended, I spent my mornings and every available bit of time to continue my studies.

I would often go to the large city library (which was within 10 blocks of where I worked) and study there. But this was only part-time for I had much of what I needed at the rental house. All of this took up every available moment but I was able to sleep too. My most difficult part was trying to sleep in the hot Texas summers without air conditioning—but I just didn’t have an available dollar to spend on this.

I continued to face certain difficulties and then the most difficult experience of all, but this must await the next installment.