Thank you to all who responded to my query and feel the same way.

Both my wife and I were saved in 1975 after I read “The Late Great Planet Earth” by Hal Lindsay. From that day on I felt in my very bones that we would not reach our retirement; we would either be raptured or die an un-natural death.

I don’t know how many prophecy books I picked up in the late 70’ and early 80’s. My prophecy fever was very contagious. I started many bible studies and preached numerous prophetic messages to alert folks of the soon return of our Lord. It all came to a head in 1988 with Edgar C. Wisenant’s “88 Reasons”. It was the same year our family had moved to another town and away from a close church fellowship. Well, our previous church friends called on me to meet with them and explain the book and the logic behind Edgar’s book. I must say it was a mind-blowing experience.

You can imagine the repercussions of the failed rapture prediction. I didn’t hear from our church friends again. And if interest in prophecy and a soon rapture was still there it certainly was well hidden. Any prophecy discussions that I had after this were restricted to a few close friends.  The majority of people within our new fellowship, including our pastor, would admit that “Yes, the Lord could return at any time; even before this service had ended.” Yet, they never really expected it to happen in their lifetime.

Then in the late 90’s with the acquisition of a computer and the internet I stumbled upon many new prophecy forums and discussion groups like the “5 Doves”. [By the way, this site has been a daily staple for me during the last ten years. Thank you John! ] As you know, there have been a number of predicted rapture dates that have come and gone. Each time my wife and I would get excited and anxiously wait for the day, only to see it pass quite uneventful. [I guess that is ample evidence of birth pangs, eh?] There was a period during which Sylvia would get very depressed and refused to hear anything I had to say regarding our Lord’s return. She has mellowed since then and no longer reflects 2 Peter 3:4. Thankfully God has given her the grace to maintain a hopeful attitude to a soon “homecoming”. We are both so tired of this world.

Although I officially retire next year I find it hard to think that far ahead. Maybe it’s a woman’s thing regarding financial security, but  my wife is concerned about finances. How much will we have left owing on our mortgage and car loan? Will we be able to make the payments that are required to pay off what we owe?  Since I haven’t been working since last September because of polymyocitis this does create a financial bump in the road. But as I look at our last 42 years together and see how God has carried us through every financial lean time, I can’t help but face each day with the inward assurance that He will continue to provide all that we need; even “if we are still here next year…..”.

 

Maranatha!

Will