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In This Issue...
Articles
- A Theology of Humor by Cheryl Taylor
- Ministering With Humor by Stephanie Nance
- Christian Leaders Having Fun? by Pam Morton with Kathy Jingling
- The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter by Dwenda Gjerdingen, MD, MS
Resources
Book Reviews
- Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins
- The Purse-Driven Life by Anita Renfroe
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From Migrant to Doctor: A Life of Learning
An Interview with Billie Davis
“The best thing you can do for yourself is learn. The best thing you can do for another is teach.”—Billie Davi.s
Dr. Davis, you have a unique story! How has your past contributed to your belief in lifelong learning?
My people were migrant workers. We traveled over the Western half of the United States following the crops and picking fruit and cotton. We had no house until I was in high school. We often slept in our model “A” Ford with the top cut off and a frame and canvas for covering. Occasionally we lived in migrant shacks provided by growers at the edge of the fields. But mostly, we lived in a tent.
When my father was tired of doing the “rich man’s dirty work” in the fields, he made willow baskets. My mother would fill them with crepe paper roses for my sister and me to sell. My earliest memories are as a young child standing at the street corner to sell baskets and roses. Going into every place of business, and to each home, I became acquainted with “real people”—people who lived in homes. I too wanted to live in a house.
One day when we were camped by the road, I saw children going by. “Where are they going?” I asked my mother. “Probably to Sunday School,” she said. I wanted to go to Sunday School, too. “Can I go?” I asked. “I suppose you can go, but they’ll laugh at you,” she said. When I found out it was free, that solidified my decision! I followed the children, went to Sunday School, and fell in love with it. My first experience was so beautiful! It was in Sunday school that I decided I needed to learn how to read books.
From that time on, I have always had a craving to learn—and I’ve never quit! I went to Sunday School first and then went to public school the same way—I followed the kids. I would walk in and attend school for a while, even if it was only for a few weeks at a time. I was the eldest, so my parents lost a worker when I went. But they recognized my desire to go and sent me off. I still had to sell the baskets—even through high school.
Moving from school to school, and staying only weeks at a time, how did you keep up with the other kids?
I found the library and loved it! I went whenever I could. I was blessed by God with a good mind and an eagerness to learn. If I went to class and heard about something I’d never experienced before such as cookies, telephones, and parties, or if they were studying something I hadn’t learned, like long division, I would watch and listen and learn all I could. Sometimes I would just have to pretend.
The rest of my bothers and sisters, there were nine of us in all, went through high school. I helped make that happen. Momma scolded me because I was so hard on the kids learning their English. “Who do you think you are?” she’d say. “Aren’t your own people good enough for you?”
Amazingly you were able to graduate from high school. Where did you go from there?
When I graduated from high school, I left my family behind. I joined the Salvation Army, went to leadership camp, and taught a Sunday School class. I was living in California when a friend invited me to the Christ Ambassador’s group in an Assemblies of God church. When people went down to the altar to pray, I also went down. That was when I received my first miracle—the baptism in the Holy Spirit! My prayer was, “Lord, please, I want whatever you have for me!” Right then, I spoke in tongues. I also knew I had a burning desire to become a Christian writer.
In those days the youth publication of the Assemblies of God included a column called “Cousin Clara.” One day I wrote to “Cousin Clara” and asked, “I would like to write Christian textbooks. How can I become a writer?” She didn’t take me seriously, but God was working behind the scenes. A short time later, the head of the fledgling Sunday School Department of the Assemblies of God needed some writers to start a paper, The Christian Counselor. He told the woman who wrote the “Cousin Clara” column about his need. She replied, “That’s funny. I got a letter from a girl out in California who wants to be a writer.” He took my letter, and offered me a job as soon as I could get out to Springfield. That was my second miracle. I worked in an aircraft factory until I could save the money for a train ticket. I came to Springfield in 1942.
How did you begin to pursue higher education?
After I moved to Springfield, I worked full time and began to take classes at Drury College. During this time I married, and my husband and I did missionary work and traveled for the Sunday School Department, so we were never in one place for very long. After my story appeared in the Saturday Evening Post I had many opportunities to travel and speak. But if we were in a city for any length of time, I would attend classes. In all, I attended seven different colleges to complete my degree, though I eventually graduated from Drury. I later went on to complete a master’s degree and a doctorate. I finished the doctorate when I turned 59 years old!
What have you been able to do that would not have been possible if you had not embraced a lifestyle of lifelong learning?
Education and learning have allowed me to cross lines a typical Christian teacher might not be able to cross. I have spoken in public schools, civic clubs, and business organizations because I have been broad in my studies. God has opened many doors for me to teach. I believe the best thing you can do for yourself is learn, and the best thing you can do for another is teach.
How do you pursue learning on a regular basis?
Yesterday, I spent a whole afternoon at Barnes and Noble reading. I read offbeat magazines like The Humorist Magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic—and I learned things I didn’t know before! I do this so that I know what humanists think. Then when I teach, I can counteract humanism without even saying the word. I can lead young people away from a worldview that is opposed to Christian beliefs without making it a controversial situation.
In addition, I belong to and participate in educational societies. I go to meetings whenever I can. I still go to the library, and I search the Internet! Anything you want to learn about can be found on the Internet. I attend seminars and lectures whenever I can. I also keep up on my writing. I go to writer’s conferences and speak at them when I get the chance.
What do you see is the value of lifelong learning?
The more you learn, the more you gain insight that helps you understand people. You develop empathy—the ability to put yourself in the place of another. And empathy keeps you from extremes. For example, there is something to be said on every side of the question. Some questions have two sides, and others have sixteen sides! Learning helps you to understand why others feel the way they do, and it helps you to articulate your views in ways others can understand. As a teacher, pastor, or minister empathy is the first quality needed. You must be able to put yourself in the student’s place. A good teacher thinks from the student’s point of view and presents material in ways he or she will understand.
Life is just plain richer when you’re not narrow minded. I have never been bored. I can always find something interesting to explore. If you’re a life-long learner, you can be happy anywhere.
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