“Lucky” to be Called

I had to write a bio for my ordination tomorrow. I've been thinking a lot about my "calling" – the way God works in our lives and directs us. I thought you might enjoy it!

Dottie (Dorothy) Jean Dills (Cooper Hinesley) was born to Ralph and Radine Dills on January 3, 1958.

I have 2 sisters, Beth Romine and Lisa Neighbors.

I am married to Dean Hinesley and together we have 3 daughters: Jessa, Allie and Taylor.

I am being ordained at the urging and support of my husband and parents.

My earliest memory of "being called" was when I was about 8 years old. A missionary came to our church and I went with my mother to the evening service. In the early to mid 1960's, missionaries came and set a table of their goods – shrunken heads, tribal loin clothes, spears and the witch doctor's "former" evil potion. I was looking with amazement at the variety of things and the missionary spoke to me. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I know I hid my face in my mother's skirt and I cried. My memory of what he said is: Maybe, if you are very lucky, God will call you to be a missionary too. (I think I cried because I was terrified of leaving my parents for some terrible country where they shrunk heads.)

A seed was planted in my life that day. And I do feel "Lucky", that God in His Grace chose to call me.

As I grew, I reflect on that seed and I wondered if God would call me. As a child, the only great women I saw that were "called" were either church soloist or single female missionaries. From what I could tell there were no single male missionaries. I prayed that I would be able to sing. Just sing for Jesus! I thought I could handle that kind of call.

In fifth grade, I tried out for choir and I didn't make it, smashing all visions of Singing for Jesus. I wasn't sure about the missionary bit, leaving my mommy and daddy going to a shrinking heads foreign country thing.

Around that time, I had an incident. I was about 10 or 12 and I was running outside of our church with all the other kids and I ran full force into an awning support pole. I think it knocked me to the ground and I got up and ran in circles for a moment. At some point, in my young mind, this became my "near death experience" and I knew God had spared me for a reason. Perhaps, it was my pre-teen need for drama. It's funny, I never really talked about it, but it is a point that stuck in my mind.

After a short period of rebellion in high school, I became this dedicated Christian, want to reach my world for Christ, but don't have a clue how to do it. Some suggested that I pray for my class mates, so I did. Thru the student directory and thru the yearbook, I would pray for classmates by name. I would call my entire class and invite them to Campus Life meetings. I would turn in announcements and have them announce the Campus Life meetings.

I even created a brawl. I went to Clear Creek HS and our district rival was Clear Lake HS. Campus Life would kick off the school year with a burger bash and a snow brawl. I announced that there would be a Lake/Creek snowball fight.

We had never had so many kids out for burger bash before. I don't think the Campus Life director ever knew I did that. He was a little amazed at all the kids asking when the Lake/Creek snowball fight was going to be.

Because I had an amazing, life changing encounter with Jesus Christ at 16, I'm passionate about students and helping them live out their desire to be salt and light on their campus. I spent my high school years trying to make a difference, but not really having a clue how to do it.

Now, I have dedicated my life to helping students make a difference, hoping that they will have that same life altering encounter that I had with Jesus so many years ago.