Sweet Home Cor-vallis

There is something about Corvallis.  This weekend Jeff and I spent a whirwind two-day weekend in Corvallis where he performed a wedding for a long-time friend.  Some things never change.  I just can’t help it–I think Corvallis will always be home to me. 

 Corvallis is where I really started walking with the Lord, 18-years-old and too skinny, rooming with my dear friend Janae.  Naive beyong belief, hanging out at frat parties, asking half-drunk frat guys, “Do you love Jesus?”  Oh how God protected me.  McNary dorm, 6th floor, where we started a little make-shift Bible study with the other girls down the hall, most of which weren’t believers, not because we “should” but because we were just so preciously clueless we didn’t know enough to attend a campus ministry but we wanted to love Jesus and wanted other people to too!  Campus Villa apartments, where we did a weekly Bible study with our brothers, Jeremy and Kris, and their friends, studying everything from the rapture to dating.    The ultra-ghetto house on 5th street where Janae and I took over my brother’s rent when he graduated, sharing a room the size of a closet, in a house with a bunch of older guys (what were we thinking?) who drank a lot but protected and looked out for us like burly older brothers.  Campus Crusade for Christ, where I first saw this frat guy emceeing and thought, “My mom would probably want me to marry a guy like that.”  His name was Jeff Patterson. I wasn’t interested. 

Corvallis is where I graduated from college, went on staff with my church’s college ministry, and discovered Jeff again for the first time.  This time he was funny and handsome and loved God so much it intrigued me.  Real Life, where we were trained and mentored and discipled.  Where we baptized and led people to Christ, saw lives changed, and gave every ounce of ourselves to the college students in the ministry. 

Corvallis is where Jeff and I fell in love, dated, got engaged.  Where we bought our first house, giddily taking the keys and painting walls the night before we moved, sipping sparkling cider and walking through the rooms dreaming of how we’d make it our own. 

I lived in Corvallis 6 years and Jeff 8, but what strikes me is that I feel most known there.  We step foot in the church office and instantly we see at least half a dozen people jump up to greet us, eyes lighting up, hugs all around.  Today I went to Red Horse, the little coffee shop that was my home away from home — where Darcy would meet me for discipleship times, where I spent innumerable hours meeting with college girls talking about God.  As I walked in this morning John, the owner, instantly ran over and gave me a huge hug and kiss on the top of my head.  He demanded I tell him all about life and Dutch and what was going on — even though I’d not been in there in over a year.   I couldn’t help but hum the Cheers song for the rest of the day, “You wanna be where everybody knows your name.”

I supposed Corvallis is so precious to me because of the rich history there.  I feel like I can just be.  I don’t have to prove myself, don’t have to peform, don’t have to try to fit in.  It’s just right. I guess in that way I can’t help but describe it as anything other than home.  I don’t know where we’ll end up — probably many places. I am content being wherever God leads us.  By choice home is wherever my boys are.  But they’ll always be a place inside that that finishes the song, Sweet Home Cor-vallis.  It’s just the way it is.