MORE LOVE

This coming Saturday, my husband and I will be celebrating our 27th Dating Anniversary.  It was a miracle. 

 

I had begun attending his church on the first Lenten service for which I was writing, sharing, acting in 1985.  Dave was an Air Force officer, a pianist, organist, and a youth leader. And a young guy.  I respected him, because my daughter was in his youth group and he was so considerate and giving.  I was a bit on the tough side, especially as a divorced mom, hardly making it financially and emotionally.  I was very intense in terms of hoping to help other Christian divorced moms and dads who were walking through very difficult stretches, especially with churches that wouldn't accept them.

WELL, one of his youth co-workers told Dave that he needed to mow my grass.  Made no sense; I hadn't asked for any help. But, for some reason Dave felt he was supposed to do it.

Dave came on May 18th with the lawnmower.  It didn't work, which he hadn't anticipated, and he tried to fix it.  We talked in my garage while he was working on it.  It still wasn't fixed, so we did necessary errands connected to the youth.  Went riding on his motorcycle later that night.  Had fun.

The next day he had piles of work at church, because he and the kids were preparing to head for Mexico as a missions team.  After church, he came to my house and worked on my yard, finished the mowing.  I, not knowing he was a marvelous cook and I was "OK", gave him a "thank you" dinner.

Then he played a junky piano I had grabbed for my daughter when a neighbor was sending it to the dumps. Of course, it was wonderful to listen to him.

For some reason, neither of us ever understood, so far outside of his character, he gave me a gentle, sweet kiss on my cheek as he was leaving.

We talked the next day, Monday, and he came back to my house that evening and we hashed it more, and realized God was putting us together.  However, both of us were scared beyond belief -- so different.

We were engaged in 10 days, married in 4 months.  Shocked a lot of people!  But we knew it was what we were called to do.  It was WAY outside of the normal social aspects, Christian and otherwise. He was 25, I was 40 when we married.  

So, MORE was the love through him that was poured into my heart, bringing healing from the Lord by his kindness, graciousness, givingness, huge generosity,  respect, appreciation ... most aspects I had never experienced in my life, even as a Christian.

We had been together for 2 days when he dropped an envelope off to me while heading out for a meeting; would see me the next day.  When I opened the envelope, it blew my mind.

This may seem too "romantic" and not serious enough re: "More" ... but this week, planning our date on Saturday, I think of him more often than anything else.

And, yes, we were much different and, yes, he knew it from the beginning or he wouldn't have written this:

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How can such a tough lady be so fragile?

 Yet you are and i understand.
Fagileness is a part of your beauty, like a flower,

and your willingness to risk hurt shows your strength,
which balances and makes you whole.

I pray that i see your fragility,

so i can treat you as i ought.

I would loathe to crush the flower underfoot,

when i desire to nurture you and grow you up in Jesus.

I pray the Lord's forgiveness,
and yours,
if i am not tender when i need to be,

and tough when i need to be.

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Very little touched my heart more than that.  Accurate, filled with truth, pouring forth more and more love.

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Enjoy Peter Pollock's Carnival.  If I used the word "More" too often, that should be a clue re: his chosen word.