The next month my Mom and I had gone to Dolphin island for my youngest son's wedding. On returning home we had a flat tire and ended up at a Walmart tire service to get it fixed. When we got ready to leave we realized we did not have keys to the car. The repairman had kept them so we would look for him. He had some interesting information for us. He began to ask us had we recently had anyone in our family to pass away. I said "yes, my husband passed away last month. He said, "God wants you to know that he is in Heaven and he is running all over the streets of gold. I don't get the running part." I told him that he had been a runner. Sometimes 8-10 miles a day. "Well, he said "that explains it then." Yes I said that was conformation for us. He is running on streets of gold. How wonderful is that, from someone you have never met before.
The first few months after his death were difficult but I was determined to trust God for EVERYTHING. About a year after he died I began giving away most of my things away. I didn't need them. It's just me. How much does one person need? I'm not gonna leave here with a U-Haul behind me carrying all this stuff. I didn't need it. All in all about 4 families got some of my things. I moved into a little smaller house and began to start over.
Still trusting God and walking through every door He opened for me.
God began waking me again at 3:00 am every morning. I was using this prayer time to pray for all that I thought needed help from the Lord. After a long period of time waking at 3 in the morning I was starting to run out of specific things to pray for. Finally I said, "Lord I don't know what it is I am suppose to be praying for. I don't need anything. I don't think so anyway...the only thing I don't have is a husband. Lord I'm making it fine, not sure I need one. BUT Lord if there is a husband out there somewhere for me, let me know the first time our eyes meet that HE is the guy for me NO doubts.
I began praying everyday for this man I did not know, that would possibly be my future husband. Kinda weird, I know.
A few months later, my Mom called me up asking e to drive her to a County Choir performance. She played the piano for the choir. She is almost blind and can not drive anymore. At that time I was working 7 days a week managing a wholesale supply store. Possibilities of getting off from work were almost none. Well I did what Gideon did in the Bible. I put out a fleece...so to speak...I offered up two different options if one or both happened I would HAVE to take Mother to her event. You guessed it. Both happened but I never thought they would. It blew me away. Now I'm asking God, "What is going on?"
The night of the event I arrive to pick up my Mom. She begins offering me her cologne with a laugh. I say, Say what? What are you talking about?" "Well you know you might meet somebody." "I don't think so Mom." I said. " I came to get you to your event, not looking for a man. Besides if I do I'll get him with my own cologne"...ha....ha...
The performance was to take place at 7:00 pm that evening. In the south few things start on time. I don't know why that is, but it seems to be the norm.
I soon found a good seat and lo and behold here comes one of my long time friends. I had known him over 20 years. His deceased wife and my husband and I use to go out to eat on weekends sometimes, years ago. We always had a blast with each other.
He sang in the choir that mother played for. There we were at 7:00 pm straight up in the middle of the front of the church. (7 the number of perfection) We reached out, hugged one another and gave condolences for the passing of our loved ones. His wife had passed just 4 months prior to this day.
I was almost too afraid to look square in his eyes but I DID. FIREWORK CITY IS ALL I CAN SAY. I never thought I could feel like that again. God can do amazing things. I wondered, "does he know?" I could do nothing but laugh down deep inside for the whole two hours they were singing. Every time I looked at him I got tickled. This was crazy. "Am I too old to start over Lord?"
At the end of the performance we talked more. He told me his wife had told him before she died that he must marry a younger woman...my husband had told me I should marry an older man....we both had gone through similar situations with our spouses sicknesses and death. My question to him was. "What do you think we should do about that." He said, "First thing give me your phone number." This was a Saturday night. Sunday after church he calls. We make a date to go to a church play in the neighborhood. It was great! Oh yeah we had to get home early that evening because guess what....he had to be up by 3:00 am praying...he was up praying at the same time I had been...for the same thing....Scripture says if any 2 agree on a thing and believe it shall be done. You can take God's Word to the bank. You can count on it.
So God was still working on things. He worked in the same town where I lived and worked. We made a date for after work Monday and Tuesday. I don't know whether I had a vision or a dream or what exactly but God told me Tues. night "When he asks you to marry him you MUST say YES." You mind saying that again, Lord?" It had only been 3 days since we had met up again after so many years. I could not imagine him asking me to marry him after seeing him only 3 days. I had decided I would do as the Lord asked me to do IF HE DID ask me which I really didn't think he would. So Wednesday evening he came over for supper. I showed him a project I was working on and he seemed to like it all but one thing. He said, "There is only one thing wrong with it" I said what could that be? He said, "I think it has the wrong last name on it" "what are you saying?" I said. "Will you marry me"?
It took me all of 3 seconds to say yes. I had to explain to him why I answered the way I did. He let me know he had been praying a lot also and that was the conclusion he had made. We were very happy but were afraid of what our kids and other family would have to say about it.
It was an unusual feeling I had when we went out to eat. He always knew what I wanted to eat and drink. He ordered for me. He never had to ask. He was spot on. I never had to tell him and it is still that way most of the time. He wanted to take care of me anyway he could. I felt like I had a Boaz. We finished each others sentence. We sneeze together. Yawn together. Almost at the same time. Our kitchen cabinets even had the same groceries in them. We were definite his and hers on almost everything. Everything I gave away. God gave back to me and much more. This reminds me of a picture I have seen of a little girl talking to Jesus saying, "but Jesus I love my little teddy bear." He is asking her to give Him the little bear. She wants to keep it because she loves it so much, not realizing that he has a much bigger better, more beautiful bear He wants to give her if she will just let go of that little one.
That's the way we all are in life so much of the time. We find it hard to let go of all the things we love not realizing that if God ask you to let go then He has something much better waiting for you. If you just TRUST HIM. When God asks us to let go of loved ones, friends, or things, REMEMBER He has a plan.
We surprised everyone. We met on Sept 18 and we ran away and got married on Sept. 29, 2010. This is probably one of the shortest courtships ever in the history of man. We did what God told us to do. We TRUSTED GOD. He knew what was best for us. We have been dating ever since. We have learned from the mistakes of our youth and have been able to make this marriage one MADE IN HEAVEN. There is not a doubt in my mind that God planted a love in us that we feared was long past and made it one if not the best in our lives.
REMEMBER
The 18th of September,
I’ll never forget
I shall always remember
My soulmate I met
His eyes met mine
I could not believe
My heart leaped for joy
And prayed he’d never leave
This amazing kind of love
Was such a surprise
No one could believe their eyes
For all God has given
We will be forever thankful
We know for sure it’s all from Heaven
To us , O Lord, You have been
forever faithful.
Thank You Lord.
2010