Faith was not part of the picture in 2008 when Clarise Lyon and her husband found themselves both unemployed with a recently purchased home that needed major repairs. They discovered that their house had been built without a cornerstone and it would be necessary to rebuild the foundation. Since they were both unemployed, Peter suggested they do the repairs themselves. Clarise went along with this idea but found herself overwhelmed at the point when their project was about 30% complete. The physical labor required was exhausting. The vast quantities of golf balls found underneath their house no longer brought humor to the situation. At this point, marital tensions were high, and repairs exceeded the energy and finances to accomplish.
Feeling like they were lacking direction, Peter and Clarise decided to visit Mariners Church. From the moment Clarise walked into the church, she felt like she didn’t want to leave. The sermons spoke to her. Pastor Paul brought up questions about her spiritual and marital foundations. She sensed a theme at work! As she continued to come to church, Clarise felt God blessing her and Peter and working in their lives as they worked on the physical foundation of their home. One experience that stands out was when they were selecting stones for the home and she felt God speaking to her specifically, telling her that she was His daughter. As Clarise grew in her faith, she found herself loving her house with its imperfections in the same way that God loved her.
Clarise soon found herself in the position of starting her own business, The Lyon Learning Center, and wanting a strong foundation for her business. Currently, her business is reaping the benefits of a strong foundation and thriving. Clarise is allowing God to challenge her. She finds great joy in the children that God brings for her services.
As for Clarise and Peter’s house, the foundation is once again strong.
By Lisa Richardson, Volunteer Storyteller
