I spent the first five months of my marriage cooped up in a 750 square foot apartment watching the Food Network and HGTV all day long. I couldn’t find a job anywhere doing anything. I couldn’t remember who I was or what I was doing. Prior to the wedding, I had commenced work on a Master of Divinity degree in Texas, but when my fiancé, who lived in Mississippi, struggled to find a job anywhere near me, I took a deep breath, finished up the semester, packed my bags and moved home. It was a voluntary decision, but when I became the woman who followed her man instead of the woman who followed her dreams, I lost my identity.
I transferred schools and resumed classes just one school year after I left Texas, and soon got caught up in the busy-ness of school life. I was back on track with my calling and dreams in sight. When people asked me about myself, I had an answer: “I’m working on my Master of Divinity.” My identity as a student was restored, and I had a nametag for people to read: “Leslie Ann Jones, seminary student.”
