I am linking this post to A Place Called Simplicity, where Linny started Memorial Box Mondays to help remind us of God's love and faithfulness. The stories written share those times in our lives where we have experienced God creating miracles, blessings, and strength just when we needed it. Today I am re-posting the story of how God brought my husband Joel and I together through the prayers of others.
When I was eighteen I left home to attend Bible college. The Lutheran Bible Institute, later known as Golden Valley Lutheran College, was a small 2 year college with around 250 students attending. It was nestled down in a valley of a suburb of Minneapolis, MN. Kids came mostly from the Midwest and I was no different. It was a great atmosphere to live in and I enjoyed my two years there very much as we studied the Bible and I grew in my faith.
One parents weekend, my older sister, who helped raise me, and her good friend came for a visit. They toured the campus and then met me on the second floor of the commons building, near the chapel. We visited for a short while before they announced that they had "found the guy I was going to marry". I was more than a bit stunned, but listened quietly as they went on about how nice he was, and that he wanted to be a missionary in Africa just like his cousin David Simonson. They told me that they could "just see us married, living in Africa and working for God as missionaries". Of course, I had been thinking about mission work for years, but was not so sure about them picking out my husband! I finally asked who this guy was and just when they were going to tell me, my sister said, "Oh, there he is! He just walked in the door!!"
Now,my first impression of Joel had not been very good, so when I looked down to see who it was I was shocked, and said in a loud voice, "You have got to be kidding! He is loud, obnoxious, AND he wears BOOTS! (I was a city girl and he was a country boy after all...). My sister and her friend just smiled, and said, "We will pray about it."
Six months later we started dating and 18 months later we were married with my sister's friend singing The Lord's Prayer at our wedding service! We have been married 42 years now and Joel still wears his cowboy boots. No matter where we have lived ~ in the West, Midwest, or across the ocean~ whether he is at home, in the pulpit, or performing a wedding ceremony~ his boots are on his feet. I have come to love those boots along with his western hat, jeans, and denim shirts. And I would much rather be a country girl that a city girl any day.
We like to say we were prayed together, AND those who are prayed together stay together! God had a plan for our lives that including marriage vows that brought us together for quite an adventure in faithful living. Because of that plan, and of course my sweet Joel, cowboy boots will always hold a special place in my heart.
I am looking for a miniature pair of cowboy boots to put in my memorial Box to remind us of of God's goodness in our lives. I often say, I know God loves me because he brought Joel into my life. I just had to share this story today ~ I hope God blesses you with it in some small way.
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