I Love a Good Story

I especially love to hear how people meet, what drew them to each other, how they connected, how GOD worked it all out the way HE did, etc. It intrigues me. Maybe someday I'll write a book about it.

There are my friends Angie and Andy, who taught high school together for years before they started dating. I remember a particularly infamous phone message from a rather distraught Angie. She had called to tell me to forget our last conversation because she had misread Andy's feelings, and they could never be anything more than friends. NAH! She hadn't misread him at all.

I was there the night that John met Rachel. I was a guest at the same party and didn't even catch on until much later how instantly smitten my pal John was.

I watched with great amusement as my sister Barbara fought her own feelings for Jonathan. I remember one particular evening when Jonathan and I met over Frostys at Wendy's where he poured out his heart and asked me how best to handle my sister. I told him to give her some space and just wait. He did, and a few days later, she was back literally knocking on his door.

I remember watching Pollyanna and Greg get to know one another. I can still recall the excitement in her voice when she told me they were dating.

My Mom was telling me again on the phone this weekend how she met my Dad, a widower with 3 boys. She said she was rather scared by the whole idea. Sure, she wanted a family, but a ready-made family was intimidating. Somehow though, my Dad won her over, and quite frankly, I'm glad he did. My sister and I enjoy existing!

I love these stories and many others like them. I guess I don't tire of hearing them, and yes, the die-hard romantic in me would like a love story of my own to share someday. [BIG SIGH!]

However, there is ANOTHER nearby who has a deeper claim on my desires and affections. HE did after all create me, save me, redeem me. HE knew me before HE made me, and no one else knows me better than HE does. HE has been relentlessly pursuing me all of my life.

It amazes me that the ANCIENT of days, the ONE that spoke this world into existence, the SAVIOR of the world, the ALMIGHTY ONE -- wants sweet communion with me. [sigh!] You know what? That means that I am part of the greatest love story ever told. I have the love of my Heavenly FATHER. Thank you, LORD!

I love the simple lyrics of this hymn by George Beverly Shea.

"There's the wonder of sunset at evening,
The wonder as sunrise I see;
But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul
Is the wonder the God loves me.

"O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all!
Just to think that God loves me.
O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all!
Just to think that God loves me..."