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Love Gift given by Megan E. in December 2007
My name is Megan E. I grew up in the Twin Cities, raised in a family with a single Mother and my sister and surrounded by lots of supportive family and friends. My family went to church on a regular basis and I was taught that Jesus Love Me, but really it has taken me all 30 years of my life to really understand what that means.
I met my husband when I was fifteen. I knew that he was meant for me from the first time I saw him, the only problem was he was Jewish. This was not a big problem, until we got more serious and as the years passed, it became obvious we had some decisions to make. We had many conversations about religion. It was completely understood that I would remain Christian and he Jewish and we would raise Jewish Children. After 7 years of dating, we got married. It is challenge having an inter-faith family, but really I find it to be a blessing to. I have had the opportunity to learn about his religion and in doing so, I really have learned so much about mine.
We spent the first four years of our marriage in medical school in Palo Alto, CA. Being away from family for the first time in my life was difficult. I tried to find a church, but I found it difficult to because so many Catholic Churches were just for the Spanish Community or the Portuguese Community. During these years, religion was only apart of my life in my nightly conversations I had with God before I went to bed.
On Match Day, I was elated to find out we were headed to Rochester. I was just so happy to be going “home” again, and I had no idea that in the end, Rochester was going to bless me with so many things that I would leave there a different person.
Soon after I arrived in Rochester, I received a call from a fellow dermatology spouse, Gwen Dapprich and she welcomed me and invited me to her playgroup. Later in the week I went over to her house and met a nice group of women. I had not been a part of close group of friends since I was in high school, so I was pretty anxious to become part of something and meet people. These women all seemed to have a special friendship. One of them had recently left Rochester to move to Florida and moved back 9 months later…Wow I thought, this must be a great place to be to give up the sunshine of Florida! These women could not stop talking about the upcoming SBS welcome picnic. I had never done a bible study. But a few years before, I had made an attempt at reading the bible. I think I read about 7 pages the whole year, it was just too challenging for me so I gave up. I told myself that when we were settled some place, I should join a bible study. This seemed to be a sign I could not ignore, so the choice seemed obvious that I must try it. I went to the picnic and thought I should start at the beginning with the Bible Basics group.
A couple weeks later, my son who had just started walking fell and fractured his leg. I ended up in the emergency room with him for a cast. While waiting for the doctors, I got a call with bad reception from Kelly Ferguson, I was only able to tell her I was in the emergency room to get a cast on Aiden. When I left the emergency room, I had a message from Gwen telling me that if I needed any help or needed some dinner that all the women of the playgroup were willing to help out. This struck me in as odd because it really was not a big deal and here these people, who I had only meet a couple of weeks ago, were offering me all this help. But as I spent more time in Rochester, I began to realize that this was not an odd thing, but really quite normal because I had become part of a special community. Growing up, I had just inherited the community I was raised in, but for the first time I became part of community on my own merits. It is such a wonderful thing to be accepted, cared for, supported and be able to give those things back in return. I have never felt alone in Rochester because I knew if I needed anything, I could pick up the phone and call a number of people who would help me unconditionally. These people are so special, that sometimes I don’t even need to ask for help, they just know.
When Bible Study started that fall, I was really amazed to see how many people attended. I was also really intimated by the depth of many peoples faith. I often did not feel like I belonged here during the first few months, but something kept bringing me back. Bible Basics was fantastic, Julie and Shelley’s wisdom and compassion for teaching the bible was a true gift. Often times, when I got in my car to go home, I would start to cry. I was just so overwhelmed with feelings that came from the fellowship, the singing, the praying and everything that I was learning. I began to see things differently as my eyes were opened and as a subtle peacefulness came over my heart. I could not deny the growing presence of God in my life.
In my first summer study, I learned a verse I repeat to myself often, Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God”. All through out the bible are examples of wonderful miracles achieved through faith and obedience to the Lord. But there are also many lessons that show us that “possible” does not always mean that everything will turn out as we want it to, but that we need to trust that we will be lead in the right direction. This last spring, my husband faced the choice I am sure many of you have experienced “What to do with your career when your residency is coming to an end”. It was a really hard time for us, especially my husband as the choices before us were not the ones we had planned on for many years. After weeks self doubt, stress and “new plans”, I finally said to my husband: I am not worried about our future and I will not be consumed by this craziness any longer. I have been through many challenges in my life greater then this and I can say that God had never not taken care of me. Things did not always turn out the way I had planned, and at times it took me a long time to get over things, but I did. So I am just going to trust in God that he will lead us where we need to be. Sure enough, months later, we signed an offer that was far beyond what we had planned for ourselves and on the day that my husband finalized his contract, he said to me, “I thanked God today”.
So as I prepare to leave Rochester to move back to the Twin Cities this spring, I know was not by chance we ended up in Rochester; it was all part of His plan to re-guide and teach me in my journey as a Christian. I leave here a more secure and peaceful person because I take with me two wonderful gifts. A community that has taught me to be a more giving and accepting person and I have also grown to understand and trust my faith in the Lord to lead me in life. These gifts are so precious to me and I thank you all.
My name is Megan E. I grew up in the Twin Cities, raised in a family with a single Mother and my sister and surrounded by lots of supportive family and friends. My family went to church on a regular basis and I was taught that Jesus Love Me, but really it has taken me all 30 years of my life to really understand what that means.
I met my husband when I was fifteen. I knew that he was meant for me from the first time I saw him, the only problem was he was Jewish. This was not a big problem, until we got more serious and as the years passed, it became obvious we had some decisions to make. We had many conversations about religion. It was completely understood that I would remain Christian and he Jewish and we would raise Jewish Children. After 7 years of dating, we got married. It is challenge having an inter-faith family, but really I find it to be a blessing to. I have had the opportunity to learn about his religion and in doing so, I really have learned so much about mine.
We spent the first four years of our marriage in medical school in Palo Alto, CA. Being away from family for the first time in my life was difficult. I tried to find a church, but I found it difficult to because so many Catholic Churches were just for the Spanish Community or the Portuguese Community. During these years, religion was only apart of my life in my nightly conversations I had with God before I went to bed.
On Match Day, I was elated to find out we were headed to Rochester. I was just so happy to be going “home” again, and I had no idea that in the end, Rochester was going to bless me with so many things that I would leave there a different person.
Soon after I arrived in Rochester, I received a call from a fellow dermatology spouse, Gwen Dapprich and she welcomed me and invited me to her playgroup. Later in the week I went over to her house and met a nice group of women. I had not been a part of close group of friends since I was in high school, so I was pretty anxious to become part of something and meet people. These women all seemed to have a special friendship. One of them had recently left Rochester to move to Florida and moved back 9 months later…Wow I thought, this must be a great place to be to give up the sunshine of Florida! These women could not stop talking about the upcoming SBS welcome picnic. I had never done a bible study. But a few years before, I had made an attempt at reading the bible. I think I read about 7 pages the whole year, it was just too challenging for me so I gave up. I told myself that when we were settled some place, I should join a bible study. This seemed to be a sign I could not ignore, so the choice seemed obvious that I must try it. I went to the picnic and thought I should start at the beginning with the Bible Basics group.
A couple weeks later, my son who had just started walking fell and fractured his leg. I ended up in the emergency room with him for a cast. While waiting for the doctors, I got a call with bad reception from Kelly Ferguson, I was only able to tell her I was in the emergency room to get a cast on Aiden. When I left the emergency room, I had a message from Gwen telling me that if I needed any help or needed some dinner that all the women of the playgroup were willing to help out. This struck me in as odd because it really was not a big deal and here these people, who I had only meet a couple of weeks ago, were offering me all this help. But as I spent more time in Rochester, I began to realize that this was not an odd thing, but really quite normal because I had become part of a special community. Growing up, I had just inherited the community I was raised in, but for the first time I became part of community on my own merits. It is such a wonderful thing to be accepted, cared for, supported and be able to give those things back in return. I have never felt alone in Rochester because I knew if I needed anything, I could pick up the phone and call a number of people who would help me unconditionally. These people are so special, that sometimes I don’t even need to ask for help, they just know.
When Bible Study started that fall, I was really amazed to see how many people attended. I was also really intimated by the depth of many peoples faith. I often did not feel like I belonged here during the first few months, but something kept bringing me back. Bible Basics was fantastic, Julie and Shelley’s wisdom and compassion for teaching the bible was a true gift. Often times, when I got in my car to go home, I would start to cry. I was just so overwhelmed with feelings that came from the fellowship, the singing, the praying and everything that I was learning. I began to see things differently as my eyes were opened and as a subtle peacefulness came over my heart. I could not deny the growing presence of God in my life.
In my first summer study, I learned a verse I repeat to myself often, Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God”. All through out the bible are examples of wonderful miracles achieved through faith and obedience to the Lord. But there are also many lessons that show us that “possible” does not always mean that everything will turn out as we want it to, but that we need to trust that we will be lead in the right direction. This last spring, my husband faced the choice I am sure many of you have experienced “What to do with your career when your residency is coming to an end”. It was a really hard time for us, especially my husband as the choices before us were not the ones we had planned on for many years. After weeks self doubt, stress and “new plans”, I finally said to my husband: I am not worried about our future and I will not be consumed by this craziness any longer. I have been through many challenges in my life greater then this and I can say that God had never not taken care of me. Things did not always turn out the way I had planned, and at times it took me a long time to get over things, but I did. So I am just going to trust in God that he will lead us where we need to be. Sure enough, months later, we signed an offer that was far beyond what we had planned for ourselves and on the day that my husband finalized his contract, he said to me, “I thanked God today”.
So as I prepare to leave Rochester to move back to the Twin Cities this spring, I know was not by chance we ended up in Rochester; it was all part of His plan to re-guide and teach me in my journey as a Christian. I leave here a more secure and peaceful person because I take with me two wonderful gifts. A community that has taught me to be a more giving and accepting person and I have also grown to understand and trust my faith in the Lord to lead me in life. These gifts are so precious to me and I thank you all.
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