God Had a Plan
The Biographical Memoirs of God’s Leading in the Lives of Orlan Earl Thomas and Marcella Evangeline Frisbie Thomas
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Excerpt from Book: God Had A Plan
Indeed, there is much to be said regarding the Lord’s leading in the lives of Orlan and Marcella Thomas.
This book is not a mass of words collected in an attempt to describe the lives of those depicted herein. Rather, it is the bringing to life of the beautiful way in which the Lord directed those lives and made them examples for those in the present as well as those who will come behind. This should be easy to understand through a brief look at some of the ways the Lord provided for the lives of the couple in focus making it possible for us to take in a world of experiences and providing such variety in life that we were never bored.
There are countless students over the years who have contributed to our personal fulfillment, as most of our lives we have been involved in teaching that was a most rewarding opportunity to give of ourselves, often unselfishly, as we endeavored to honor and share the Lord through the talents He gave us.
There were multitudinous times in our travels across the United States and abroad when people would comment to us that we could write a book. Marcella often would say, “I want to write the book that so many have suggested.” However, it was not in God’s plan that she would write that book, as she came down with multiple myeloma cancer at age seventy-two and passed away after a four-year battle.
Following Marcella’s passing, the Lord continued to speak to me about the book Marcella had hoped to write. The Lord impressed upon me the fact that if the book were to be written, I would, of necessity, be the one to write it, as I am the oldest living member of our immediate Thomas clan. All the ways the Lord blessed and provided for Marcella and me through the years would be lost forever if I did not undertake that task. This would deprive not only the current generation of that blessing, but it would rob those who would come after of the knowledge of the beautiful way God’s plan provided for this couple who desired to honor the Lord in every way.
In addition to the “recall effect” that one experiences in sitting down to write a book, I was blessed by a number of sources including invaluable writings of my mother, Bernice Breneman Thomas, the family Christmas letters, the record of Marcella’s trying times of supporting herself while in college, as well as the unique story of the Lord’s directing her to her 1st employment where she “just happened” to meet Yours Truly that was no accident, as indeed God had a plan.
The story of God’s plan for us is the core of this book, which is meant to share with the whole world God’s sovereign direction and fulfillment of His plan for two feeble servants as they put their trust in Him in their early years and through fifty years of marriage. Over all, they lived a rewarding, full, and blessed life.
In the beginning, this writing sets the stage for bringing together the ancestry of Orlan Earl Thomas and Marcella Evangeline Frisbie Thomas. Following the genealogy presented in a manner much like the genealogies of the Bible—there is family history presented in pedigrees, words, and photos.
The “Life and Times of Orlan Earl Thomas,” includes my growing-up years. The Lord’s work in preparing me for my first teaching position, its timely availability and a tenure of thirty-four years was indeed nothing less than a miracle. Yes, God had a plan!
The Lord’s hand led me to pursue a doctorate at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, not only leading me to it but seeing me through the obstacles that the evil one put before me. Apart from the Lord’s hand, these challenges would have driven me to completely give up that pursuit before I’d even begun.
The passing of my dad by way of an apparent freak accident turned out to be the Lord’s divine provision for my mother’s lifetime care. Dad had always said that in the event of his premature death, God would take care of my mom. And the Lord did so for another thirty years.
Our first child was with the Lord at the age of six months. We never blamed the Lord, as we were like Job of the Old Testament who suffered a similar loss and said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” The Lord gave us other children—yes, a living heritage and our whole family has been blessed by opportunities to share the love of Christ virtually around the world, from which we have built lasting global friendships.
The way the Lord provided a family homestead was in every way a “God thing.”
The home-going of my mother left a huge vacuum in our lives, as Mother had lived with our family for twenty-nine years. She was a very strong, positive influence on us all—and a spiritual giant in the home.
In making a decision on a couple of our mission adventures, the Lord brought us to the realization that we just needed to step out of the boat like Peter of the scriptures. We needed to keep our eyes on the Lord, and He would direct our paths. Truly, it was a matter of taking that step of faith and finding the rock beneath that gave us the encouragement to “walk on water” during six years of teaching in China.
“Life and Times of Marcella Evangeline Frisbie Thomas,” is the record of a life dedicated to the Lord. It was nothing short of miraculous the way the Lord provided for her in her college days and led her to further God’s great plan for her life as well as putting the two of us together. Had she not been obedient to the Lord’s direction in her life, we would not have met, and God’s plan would have been thwarted.
Marcella was pushing really hard to reach the fifty-year anniversary of our marriage, as she was in the grip of multiple myeloma cancer that threatened her life. God was good and granted her that wish.
Marcella’s home-going was a time of earthly sadness, yet it was a time of rejoicing for her to have entered the presence of her Lord. My relocation to Norman, Oklahoma, was necessary so I could be where family could “be there” for me following open heart surgery.
The saying “too soon olt and too late schmart” certainly came to me as I entered the realm of octogenarians in 2015. Finally, this Legacy has been one of honoring the Lord and reflecting on family spiritually, as well as reviewing the many things that have been a part of this heritage. Yes, God had a plan, and the unique way He carried out that plan was indeed beautiful to behold.
To God be the glory!
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About the Book
God Had a Plan begins with a genealogy patterned much like the ones found in the Bible, with some early family history interspersed as was available. Once the genealogy is established, the author offers an examination of the “seed,” referring to the “look see” into the lives of those who produced the offspring in review. The life and times of the author and his beloved wife Marcella are explored from cradle to adulthood, journeying through his teaching positions and her position as soprano soloist with the “Back to the Bible” broadcast in Lincoln, Nebraska. Their union of husband and wife was unquestionably a divine appointment, as God truly “had a plan.” Indeed, education played a big part of God’s plan in each of their lives, though the road to the doctorate at the Eastman School of Music turned out to be a long, arduous trip involving many perils. God’s plan saw the writer through that rigorous quest with scriptural promises that, when claimed, brought deliverance. More than just a simple chronology of dates and facts, this touching autobiography about the author’s faith offers guidance and hope to all his readers.
About the Author
Orlan E.Thomas, born in 1935, is Associate Professor Emeritus of Oboe, Music Literature, and Music Theory at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where he taught for thirty-four years. In addition to bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska, he holds a doctor of musical arts (DMA) degree in Oboe Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music where he studied with oboist Robert Sprenkle. In his retirement, he taught for six years at Sias International University in Xinzheng, China and traveled extensively around the globe. From 2017 he is Principal Oboist of the Oklahoma Baptist Symphony.