Today I want to deviate
from my traditional blog to share a true love story. A story that is very
personal for me… It is the story of two young Christians brought together
by the very hand of God, bringing into existence a relationship to stand the
test of time. This is not a narrative found in the Bible. In fact,
up to this moment, it has not been captured in print anywhere that I am aware
of.
It began September 18,
1976. On that day a new pastor was moving into the parsonage of the
Church of God in Crown Point, Indiana. Also on that day, the church’s
youth had planned a trip into Chicago to go to Brookfield Zoo. Knowing
the pastor would be moving in that day, those in charge of the youth invited
the pastor’s two oldest children to join them on the trip. His son, fourteen
and a half going on twenty-five, and his daughter, who was celebrating her
twelfth birthday that very day, joined the group as the van arrived at the
parsonage.
The group was comprised
of several teens and preens near their age, and they were getting to know their
newfound friends when the driver announced that there was one more young lady
to pick up. The group quickly informed the young man and his sister that
this girl had just started attending the church the week before, and had
accepted Jesus as her Savior that very week on Wednesday the 15th.
Soon they had arrived at her home, and onto the van stepped the most radiant
and beautiful creation God had ever brought onto the planet. The young
man’s heart leaped in his chest. It was like the moment in the cartoons
when the pupils of the eyes turn to hearts and the heart appears to be bulging
out of ones chest.
The rest of the day at
the zoo was spent with one of his new-found friends following the group of
ladies around. The young man gladly accepted the ability to wander near
her under the pretense that he was accompanying his buddy on his quest
to be near her.
Heading home on the van,
he did whatever he could to gain her attention. The wooden plank bench
that lined the interior of the van was not attached to the floor (yes, in those
ancient days there was not the intensive laws restricting seatbelts and
such). Every turn created the ‘opportunity’ for this adventurous
‘love-struck’ guy to place his fingers behind the seat and allow them to be pinched
so he could cry out in pain. (I never indicated that he was the brightest
bulb in the socket.) Just to have her turn and look at him, even though
later he found that it was not concern that was found in her eyes, but wonder
that he wouldn’t just move his hands, was worth the angst involved.
In the months to come he
did everything he could to win her affection. After some time passed he
had resigned to just achieving the honor of her friendship. They had
become very close in that way, and on the next Valentines Day he blew it.
It was then that the girl he had his eyes on wore a very lovely, very striking
dress with wide sleeves. The white dress covered with green floral design
looked magnificent on her, but he allowed a discussion with another friend of
his to lure him into teasing her that she looked like she was wearing a
kimono. She had worn the dress to capture his attention, and it hurt her
that he teased her so. And another opportunity was lost.
The ensuing months found
them working together in God’s purposes at the church through the youth
program. Great advances in the faith brought both of them closer to God
and each other. All the while he admired her beauty inside and out.
If only she knew how he really felt.
Then one day in late November
something happened. Something wonderful. Something
miraculous. The young lady approached his mother,
the pastor’s wife, in
the church office.
She told her that she
really felt like she should be dating her son, but that she didn’t want to
interfere in the girl he was presently ‘dating’. The mother’s response
was priceless: “Goodness, girl: Go get him away from her!” (or something
like that)
Later he found what had
caused her to make such a move. She stated that he had walked her out to
her car after a service when God spoke to her heart and said, “You’ve been
praying for ‘the one’ and he has been in your back yard the whole time.”
It was then she had decided to approach his mother on what to do.
Shortly thereafter the
youth group went out to Burger Chef after church, as they often did (yes, there
really was a fast food restaurant by that name, young people… look it
up). That evening the young man sat next to his girlfriend with the young
lady of his true desire sitting across from him. She was blowing Coke at
him through her straw, teasing him. He took that as a flirtatious
sign. When the group was disbanding to head to their respective homes, he
told his girlfriend to get in the van heading her direction and he and his
sister would get a ride home with this other young lady. It just so
happened that she had offered a ride, and he and his sister would be her only
passengers.
That night he gave her
several mis-directions to get to his home, which location she was unfamiliar
with at the time. Finally, his sister, knowing what he was doing, and
annoyed at the whole process, cried out from the back seat, “We’re three blocks
from home! That way!” She emphatically pointed in the direction to
follow. He nodded and provided the correct instructions to the correct
destination.
Once home the close
friends allowed the sister to go into the house while they stayed outside
talking. During that conversation she said to him that she was praying
that God would send her someone “just like” him. He looked into her eyes
and said, “I believe He will.” He slept very well and contented that
night, and made a decision that would change the course of his life toward
God’s true will. He was going to ask out that girl one more time, and
take the chance!
And he did. After
a rather dramatic breakup with the girl he had been ‘dating’ for some time, the
couple began their journey toward love. And then came her dad.
This gentleman had
strictly stated that if she were to marry someone from “that church” he would
never walk her down the aisle. In fact, he forbade her from dating anyone
from “that church” after she had brought home a particularly insane young man
from the church previously.
And here came the
test. Her dad was a hunter and trapper, in addition to being a
fisherman. It was the “hunter and trapper” that brought about the true
test of love.
When she would invite
her young man over to dinner after church on a Sunday, he would be presented
with some new ‘meat’ that appeared only on his plate. Everyone else may
have chicken or ham, but his was a very special plate. During their time
dating this young man ate opossum, squirrel, snake, rabbit, turtle, muskrat,
and other varied delicacies. Each time he prayed over his meal with an
earnestness never before realized in meal-time prayer. Each time he ate
what was set before him. Eventually, he won over her dad’s approval.
When his dad notified
the family that they would be moving to a new church soon, the young man stated
very clearly that he would go with them to help re-start a ministry across the
state. But there was one condition: he wanted to marry the young
lady.
Now at the time he was
graduating from High School one year early due the accelerated schedule he had
taken on. He was planning to graduate after his Junior year and go to
college. Plans change.
He was seventeen now,
and his young lady, almost two years his senior, had graduated from a
vocational college and was working in the medical assistant field. In
order to get married in the State of Indiana he would have to have his parent’s
signatures. They agreed.
Left out of all of this
are the wonderful times spent going out to their favorite restaurant, the New
Moon in Merrillville, and going bowling at an alley near to the eatery.
The first kiss (oh my goodness…can that girl kiss!), and the many to
follow. The nights spent on the phone sharing dreams and their love of
God. The days spent leading the youth group with their Leader, Vicky and
her husband. And who can forget the two accidents the young lady had, one
ending up in a field on her way to school (which nearly cost her cousin his
life when he wouldn’t tell the young man the full story of what he had seen of
her plight – I exaggerate, mostly); and one which brought about a shiny royal
blue door to her otherwise fire engine red Nova (which she still hasn’t lived
down to this day).
During this time of
dating they grew closer than he ever thought he could with one person.
Her beauty outside was matched only by her inner glow which emanated from her
love for God, and still is.
On September 29, 1979,
at Third Street Church of God in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Janet’s dad walked her
down the aisle, and presented her to me for marriage. My dad officiated
the ceremony, his hands trembling as the paper book he held in his hands
lightly rattled. I remember that day as though it were yesterday.
The moment she appeared I experienced something very much akin to what I had
that very first day three years prior…I lost my breath. And she has never
stopped taking my breath away.
Since then we have
experienced so much together. The birth of our first child, our eldest
daughter on February 14, 1982 (Happy Birthday, Crystalyn!); the passing of
Janet’s mom just a couple of short years later, the birth of our daughter,
Stephanie, and son, Joshua; Janet’s dad going home to be with his Lord (yes,
God gave us the opportunity to lead both her mom and dad to Jesus before their
deaths); the weddings of our two daughters; the birth of our
granddaughter (on Stephanie’s 20th birthday) and
grandson. We survived a miscarriage, losing our “first” son in December,
1992 (Rex Jr). We have served as pastor of two congregations (one here
for over twenty-five years now); and so much more.
Has it all been glorious
and smooth… oh no… but every heartache… every pain…
every climb up the mountain has been worth every moment spent with the love of
my life.
To my wife of
thirty-four years and counting…
I love you, Janet.
I have had a form of love for you since that day when you stepped onto that
van… That love has only grown… And I will love you into eternity…
Happy Valentines Day!!!
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