I found that to be true for me in 2000. When I first discovered Unity in 1969, I could not wait to delve deep into courses. I took courses for credit because I enjoyed the work involved. I loved doing the assignments and had no interest in teaching.
One of the first things I learned in Unity had to do with overcoming fears. One thing I had a tremendous fear of was talking in front of people. At Unity of Dallas the minister, Dr. Curtis, offered speech courses which were very popular. I remember being in front of a huge class and breaking down in tears from fear. Deep inside I knew that I needed to overcome this fear so I kept on coming back and took several more speech classes. I had no idea then that I would be speaking every week.
In the 1980's I decided to finish up my Unity credits and in 1986 began to be a speaker at an outreach started by Dean Davis. Dean was working for Unity of North Texas and Oklahoma starting Unity churches. UNTO paid $50 for the speaker, $50 for the musician, a meeting place and a Dial-A-Prayer. I became a Licensed Unity Teacher and Dean became an ordained Unity minister on the day we were married which was Valentine's Day 1988 at Unity of Denton. It was quite a day.
It was nearly impossible to live on $50 per week as a speaker at Unity of Denton so Dean and I moved to the Branson, Missouri area where I started a bookstore. After Dean's aneurysm, we went back into Unity and I became the spiritual leader of Unity of Ft. Smith in Arkansas. Dean kept telling me that he felt that I was meant to be the minister at Unity of Denton but it had a minister and I had absolutely no desire to go back to a ministry where I had been.
One day I received a call from the Unity minister in Denton who had had a vivid vision of me as the minister at Unity of Denton. She encouraged me to go to Denton and apply as she felt she was not a fit. I received an invitation from the church to apply and I was accepted.
The church had been through a split and the income was small. In order for us to have an income, Dean went to Unity by the Sea in Corpus Christi which he had started years ago. I would come to Corpus about 3 times a month. Those were difficult times as he developed cancer and I would drive down to take him to treatments from Denton.
I learned of the Field Licensing Program in Unity where I could apply and join a class of people for 4 years who would meet once a year. I would be assigned a mentor and there was a lot of work involved. The church was required to foot the bill At the time I learned of the program, Dean was back in Denton in hospice and I was working full time at Hughes Supply in order to keep us financially afloat. The church was supportive of me applying so I went to Unity Village to be interviewed and was dealt a terrible blow. They turned me down because of my situation with Dean. They felt that as long as he was alive I would be more occupied with his health than my studies with Unity. It was one of the low times of my life.
I was advised by Unity ministers in the area who were friends of mine that I should apply the next year. The church again supported me in this endeavor and I was accepted. I was in a class of wonderful people who are friends of mine to this day and I had a great mentor who was successful in the Unity movement. In 2006 I was ordained at the church. Several of my classmates came which included one person from Canada, Linda Martella Whitsett who later went on to write How to Pray Without Praying to God, and a minister from Unity of Abilene who later was tragically murdered.
I think all of us have hit lows and had obstacles in our efforts to do something with our lives. If we give up, then we will never know the joy of doing our life's work which gives us joy. I have had challenges since being ordained with ups and downs in the church membership and especially the church finances but it has always worked out in the end. I have always said a prayer in which I leave it up to God about how the situation will work out and it has been amazing how the answers come.
Let go and Let God has always worked for me.
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