I'm far from the only one

It was not a total surprise to learn of her death. Given her age and diagnosis of Parkinson's, I expected it would come. When I heard of the death of Kay Arthur, I thought of the huge impact she had on my life and on the lives of so many.

As a young mom, attending Bible study in a Bible believing church, I was frustrated with the women's Bible study. I had a deep desire to know God and understand His word and the studies, while good, left me hungering for more. 

My mom called one day, unaware of my frustration in this area, and told me of a study she thought I would enjoy if there was one in my area. A bit of research, which I have no idea how I found this information pre-internet, and I located an area church that not only offered the study but had childcare options for homeschooling moms like myself. 

I began with the study of the book of Daniel. The amount of homework with the Precept upon Precept level scared me. How would I manage 4-5 hours of study a week on top of homeschooling? I asked for the In and Out option. The leader encouraged me to give the PUP level a try. How grateful I am for her encouragement! One week's study was all it took and I was hooked.

I continued studying this way while we lived in CA. Moving to NC, one of the things we looked for in choosing a church was did they have Precept Bible studies for women. As our boys grew, I took the classes necessary to become a leader myself in order to offer classes for teens. I wanted them to learn how to study inductively. 

I offered classes for teens at our homeschool co-op. Soon moms began asking for the same classes and for a number of years I offered the same class for teens and moms. Although I stopped leading classes when our youngest left for college, I continued to study using Precept materials, either attending classes or meeting one-on-one with individuals who wanted to learn to study using an inductive study. 

Moving to Switzerland for my husband's temporary assignment had me bringing a Precept study to do on my own. But then the Lord graciously lead me to an existing English study that was nearby. 

Returning to the States, I continued studying on my own until my schedule changed and I could again attend a Precept class at my home church. A few years in a need arose for a co-leader at that study and I was again able to encourage women in their study of the word.

I am incredibly grateful that a number of years ago a few women from my church decided to attend a Precept Women's Conference. What a joy to sit under Kay's teaching in person. Already in her 80's, her love for the Lord, her love for His Word and the way the scriptures flowed from her, without notes in front of her, was deeply challenging and encouraging. 

Before attending the conference, I had written a letter letting her know of the huge impact she had on my life. After one of the sessions, I stayed in the room and was able to briefly thank her with tears in my eyes and hand my letter to her. I am sure my letter was only one of thousands that she had received throughout her life. I know I am far from the only one, but I'm a life that has been changed because she was obedient to God's calling to study the Word and teach others. Thank you, Kay.