Turning Points Marked

by  Jaimie Combs

My life is one that has always been about learning from my experiences. Even as a young child, my parents struggled to make ends meet, but always taught my sister and I the important values of life. A significant experience that has never left my heart was when I was 15 years old. I was trying to obtain sponsors for a pageant that I was going to participate in. My Father took me all around town one day, looking for sponsors. I ungratefully asked my Father why my Mother and he couldn’t just sponsor me? My Father boldly said, “Because when you win, you will appreciate it all the more”. I didn’t realize when he spoke those words into my heart how much they would mean until I won third place and won the talent section of the pageant. I did appreciate it more because I had worked so hard in preparation.

As time went on, I married my high school sweetheart. It was a long and bumpy road. We had three beautiful children, but even that could not keep us together. Through counseling, I discovered how at fault I was for wanting to change him. He wasn’t who I thought he was or should be— or was I the one who was changing? I also learned that I was attracted to him and his addictions because that was all that I had known from my childhood. I had an alcoholic Mother and a workaholic Father. I longed to love and care for someone whom I could save. After six years of marriage, we decided to let go and move on with our lives in different directions.

Remember When We Were Poor

During the midst of struggles, I always had my church family. Even though at the time, I wasn’t strong in my faith, I was surrounded and blessed with those who were. One Christmas Eve, while my husband had no job and we had very little to get by with two young children, God impressed on the hearts of one of the families in the church to anonymously give us a Christmas card with money in it. I will never forget the tears of love that flowed from my eyes as I read the note inside. It touched me so deeply that I could barely sing with the Choir.

That evening I had made an oath that each year I would return the favor and help those in need as it was done for us. I thought my children were too young to remember, but one year I was a little behind on contacting an organization and my children asked me “when are we going to go shopping for the children that have less than us”? What pierced my heart was when my son said, “remember when we were poor Mom”? Oh, how I am forever so grateful that my children have learned the true meaning of Christmas.

I want to close with a mission statement that I’ve written to guide me further along the way:

Jaimie Combs’ Mission Statement:

To Faithfully serve God and his people with all that I am and have... I shall be a vessel of love and encouragement. I will dedicate myself toward observing the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of the body, in order to feed God’s people in their walk with the Lord, so that Christ’s Body may be edified through the House of Prayer.

Jaimie Combs works in the development office at a hospital in Vermont.

What are we to receive? A kingdom. For doing what? "I was hungry and you fed me." What is more ordinary, more of this world, than to feed the hungry, and yet it rates the Kingdom of Heaven. -- St. Augustine