July 13 Random Thoughts

Sunday: The Lord's Day. I LOVE Sundays. I hope it's for the right reasons! I try to make Sundays a day of rest from physical labor. I don't allow myself to do cleaning or grocery shopping or the stuff I do every other day of the week because today is set aside as "special" for the Lord. It's very Old Testament of me, and I realize He does not require this; but as I read through the Bible every year I am struck with how important setting aside a day to rest was pivotal in God's plan for His people. There were so many benefits for them to do this! Plus, the goal was to HONOR the Lord through observing His desires for this day.

Today is July 13. This day always, always, ALWAYS, takes me back to 1973.

1973. Fifty-two years ago.

I was engaged to be married to who was then, my best friend. His name was Darrell, but he introduced himself to me as "DORTY" and since I wouldn't tell him my name the day we met, he dubbed me "GATELADY" (since my job was to sit at the gate in the college cafeteria and check people's ID's). Those nicknames remained with us all through the years our  dating relationship. Darrell was probably the most hilarious person I have ever met. Honestly. He could have done stand-up comedy. His timing was ... perfect. He had a quick mind and loved a good joke.

We met in the fall of my freshman year at Grand Rapids Baptist College (now Cornerstone University). It's too long of a story, but I am quite positive I never loved anyone quite as I loved Darrell. We had so much fun together, and when he asked me to marry him, I said I would. However, I had many misgivings--the most important of which was his lack of demonstrable love for the Lord. He claimed to be a Christian, but he wasn't very interested in things relating to Jesus. His career goal was "forestry" and he transferred to Michigan State his sophomore year to get his degree in that field. 

There were several times during our "courtship" where I tried to break it off with him because deep in my heart I knew that life was not just a "crack-up" time of laughing and hysterics ... and I wondered how Darrell would lead our future family in the ways of the Lord if he was presently so disinterested in anything seriously to do with the faith.

As it turned out, my sister had married her "dream" man two years prior and she and I were walking and talking one day, about six weeks before my scheduled wedding day (August 18, 1973). Her husband, Terry, had just given her a beautiful bouquet of flowers for no apparent reason whatsoever, and I told her that she had married THE BEST MAN IN THE WORLD (and I truly felt that way about Terry). Ruthanne didn't skip a beat and turned to me and asked: "Then WHO are you marrying?"  I thought it was a terribly UNFAIR question at the time--I mean, how on earth could I compare Darrell with Terry? And at that very second, I knew I could never marry him.

It turned out that I was invited up to his family's campsite on his 20th birthday, July 13, to spend the entire day out in the great outdoors talking about our upcoming wedding. I drove out to the campground and broke off our engagement (on his BIRTHDAY) and wept for the next SIX months--which sounds ridiculous, but it's true. It is really the first time I had ever experienced a LOSS like this. I loved him deeply. My whole life was intertwined with his. It was the most difficult thing I had ever done up to that point in my life, and yet I had peace about it too.

That was 52 years ago today. I would never want to re-live that day. I made the right decision, though, as heartbroken as I was. 

I am going to post two pictures that have nothing whatsoever to do with what I've just written, except that I have been reminded as I've been reading through Jeremiah the last few days, about how awesome the Lord is ...

Once again, birds! This mourning dove sat on this perch for the longest time today. I sat at my table, eating my yummy lunch, and just watched it. I have had many beautiful birds in the last few weeks visit my feeding station on the side yard of my house. Beautiful blue jays, woodpeckers, cardinals, finches ... all of them SO exquisitely designed!

And look at the details of this dragonfly! I wish I was better at photography. I found it on the street in my neighborhood and stopped to admire all the detail and patterns on its body; and I was amazed all over again at the GREATNESS of our Creator God.

Jeremiah 5.25: "Let us live in awe of the LORD our God." !! LIVE IN AWE. Isn't He amazing?

Jeremiah 9.23-24: This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man gloat in his wisdom, or the mighty man in his might, or the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: that they TRULY KNOW ME AND UNDERSTAND that I am the LORD who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken."

Jeremiah 10.6-7: "LORD, there is no one like you! For You are great, and Your name is full of power. Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs TO YOU ALONE! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is NO ONE LIKE YOU!"

Jeremiah 10.12-16: "God made the earth by His power, and He preserves it by His wisdom. He has stretched out the heavens by His understanding. When He speaks, there is thunder in the heavens. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from His storehouses. Compared to Him, all people are foolish and have no knowledge at all! They made idols, but the idols disgrace their makers, for they are frauds. They have no life or power in them. Idols are worthless; they are lies! The time is coming when they will all be destroyed. But the God os Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession. The LORD Almighty is His name!" 

I could keep going with these incredible praise verses found in Jeremiah! By the way, the prophet Jeremiah was Jim's favorite ... Jim understood weeping and sorrow and loss and heartache. I love Jeremiah because he worshiped the LORD and describes His power and worth in such poignant ways.

I am so thankful I have an awesome God, whose love is UNFAILING, and who DELIGHTS in revealing Himself to me. A testimony given in church this morning was from a family whose motto is: "TO KNOW GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN." They actually have this engraved on the outside of their house. I love that so much.

PS:  My prayer for Darrell on this day, his 72nd birthday, is what it has been for the past 52 years: Please, Lord, align his heart with Your awesome heart. Have Your way in his life and those he loves. Bless him with every good gift from Your gracious heart, most of all the gift of faith to take you as His Savior and Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.