Six weeks before her wedding, Judy Downs (now Douglass) had more than second thoughts. She started a tug of war with God. She sensed God urging her not to marry her college sweetheart. With invitations ready to mail, Judy wrestled day and night. "I told you before that I wouldn't marry him if You didn't want me to," she cried out to God. "It's a little late now!"

This struggle heightened for two weeks. Finally, one Sunday around midnight, Judy sensed God saying, If you marry him, then you won't be able to do what I have for you to do.

Finally, Judy knew she had to obey God. "My life story with the Lord is time after time after time, choosing His way," says Judy, "when I wanted something else."

The former quarterback of her sorority Powder Puff football team, mother of three and founding editor of Worldwide Challenge magazine never expected to end up as the first lady of Campus Crusade for Christ. Even now, a year into the role, she's still amazed.

She and her husband, Steve, have traveled to every continent to meet with the Campus Crusade staff family. Though she hates flying, she loves to be with staff members. Usually, Judy exhorts them to trust God and never settle for anything less than His best.

"My main job is the care of our staff members," says Judy, "to encourage them and be an advocate for them."

Whether speaking at a conference, making decisions in a meeting or dining with donors, she's thinking about how to help the staff family (all 24,823) develop and use their gifts.

As new opportunities come (and they come faster than she can keep up with them), Judy continues to sift through her priorities. Although her oldest, Debbie, is away at college, and second daughter, Michelle, is overseas on a short-term mission trip, mothering doesn't stop. She still has long conversations with them, sends them gift baskets and, oh yeah, feeds one daughter's fish. Son Josh is working on finishing his high-school degree at home. So between grading tests and tutoring him, Judy spends time listening to God, throws in a load of laundry and e-mails people all over the world.

"It's not unusual to get an e-mail from her in the middle of the night or 6 a.m.," says Jan Sandrik-Vescovi, director of Campus Crusade's Women's Resource Center, where Judy spends most of her in-office time. Judy created the center as a resource for staff women; it includes a library of 5,000 titles that staff members can check out. "She may work five to six days a week, but confines her meetings to two days a week," says Jan. "She's done that ever since her kids were little."

	Gifting | Judy used her spiritual gift of exhortation as a writer for years, then discovered she loved speaking even more.

Vonette Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade with Bill Bright, has watched Judy transition from a single editor to a wife and mother, and feels Judy is well equipped for her role as first lady. "This transition has been so much easier than I ever thought," says Vonette. "Judy has what it takes to be an international leader."

Judy enjoys the role more than she imagined. Yet her propensity toward disorganization sometimes presents a challenge.

"I can't find my yellow folder," the 5-foot-3-inch leader says one Thursday at her desk. "Wanda!" She tosses her head up into the air toward her scheduling assistant's workspace. "We have a great intercom system here," Judy says dryly.

Seconds later Wanda comes into Judy's cubicle with a glass of ice water and a cup of coffee.

"Wanda, I can't find my yellow folder that has everything in it I need for my meetings today. Have you seen it?"

Wanda places the drinks down and says, "No. Did you check your carry-on bag?"

"Yes, I've looked everywhere at home and here. Well, I'll just have to go without it."

Fortunately, Judy is organized in her mind and has a great memory. The second of four daughters, Judy was born in 1944 to Jimmy and Helen Downs. Jimmy left for World War II five months later. When he returned in 1945, he spent a little time playing with Judy and said, "Helen, we're going to have trouble with this gal all her life."

One Sunday, Jimmy, an obstetrician, discovered his 4-year-old trying to saw the leg off a chair with a hacksaw. During high school in Dallas' affluent Highland Park, Judy secretly dated a boy her parents had forbidden her to see. Her teachers scolded her for hanging around with the wrong crowd.

Then another friend invited her to a snow camp with Young Life, a Christian ministry to youth. Wanting to learn to ski and meet cute guys, Judy tagged along. When a speaker told the group to cup their hands and imagine holding the most important thing in their lives, Judy pictured her boyfriend.

The speaker then asked the youths to turn their hands over and dump the other things, giving God top priority. Judy immediately felt God impressing on her that He had something He wanted her to do.

Family | Judy dislikes traveling and relishes time at home (above, with daughter Michelle).

What surprised Judy most when she returned home was that she no longer resented her sister Mary. Closest in age among the four, Judy disliked having to share everything with her. After receiving Christ, Judy didn't even mind letting Mary share her horse. As Judy grew in her relationship with God, she also broke up with her boyfriend.

At the University of Texas in Austin, Judy got involved with Campus Crusade. When Judy told her parents her plans to go to California for training, her father refused to buy her airfare. So, since Judy hated flying anyway, she took the bus.

After graduating with a journalism degree, Judy joined Campus Crusade full time. Expecting to work on a campus and disappointed to relinquish her childhood dream of writing, Judy was amazed when Bill Bright asked her to come to the headquarters in San Bernardino, Calif., to write and edit Collegiate Challenge, an evangelistic magazine. She spent the next 14 years working on various publications.

During those years, a Harvard graduate joined Campus Crusade. He and Judy started spending a lot of time together. She was convinced Steve Douglass was the one for her. Steve, on the other hand, didn't think ministry and marriage mixed.

Committed to God's plan for her, Judy once again turned over her cupped hands. They dated on and off (mostly on) for five years before Steve proposed in March 1975.

"When do you think we should get married?" Steve asked.

"June 8," Judy said.

"Why June 8?"

"That's the next plan."

"The next plan?"

"I've had a plan for a couple of years," Judy said. She would pick a possible wedding date, she explained, and when that day passed she would set another one. Her most recent hope target had been June 8.

The determined planner continued her role at Worldwide Challenge magazine until Debbie was born in 1980. Then she traded late nights meeting deadlines for late nights trying to calm a colicky baby. Michelle came two years later. A decade later, Josh arrived.

His arrival actually originated with a miscarriage in 1985. During that painful time, God seemed to be saying to Judy that He would send them a son. Challenged and content with two girls, Judy told God He didn't need to bother, but the thought lingered. When the family moved to Florida in 1991, that impression grew to a strong assurance that someone would say to them, "Can you take this boy?"

Only six weeks later, a dear friend said, "By the way, Judy, do you know someone who could take an 8-year-old boy?" Judy started to cry and said, "We might."

For the next year Judy and Steve sought to discern whether this was God's plan or Judy's vivid imagination. In 1992, Josh came to live with them as a foster child. Three years later, the Douglasses adopted him.

The challenges of parenting have shown Judy much about God's unconditional love and mercy. It has also taught her how hard it is for her to say no.

But now she must, as she seeks to figure out how to assist her husband in leading Campus Crusade while delegating her former responsibilities. Judy is more comfortable reading a book with her bare feet propped up in her den. But God's way for her leads her outside her home and all around the world.

That's OK with Judy. Rather than going her own way, she wants to do whatever God wants. Her Father knows best, and she won't settle for anything less.

You may contact the author at Lisa.Master@ccci.org.