Monday, February 14, 2011

Memories!

Our story is a story of God ordained meetings and occurences.  It's a lot longer than I can post here at this time, but in honor of Valentine's Day, I will give an overview :)

Spring 1989, I was dating a Resident Advisor at Liberty University, where I was a student.  It was Youth Ministry focus week, and I attended a seminar with him in another class.  I was often being introduced to the guys in his dorm, so when a couple of fellas came up after the seminar, I didn't think much of it.  I remember the introduction, but nothing about the guys.  One of them whispered in hia ear and he laughed.  I asked what was said and he said he'd tell me later.  After we left, he said "That was one of my guys.  He said 'Please tell me that girl is your sister.' "  I thought it was funny.  Later that night, the "guy", Ben, went to the RA's dorm room and told him "One of these days, you're going to be without that girl.  And I'm going to take her out."  My guy thought that was funny, too.  Those are the only details I remember about our first meeting.  I couldn't have picked Ben out of a lineup if my life depended on it.  I guess you could say I was a loyal girlfriend, only having eyes for the guy I was with, but in reality, I'm just kind of oblivious that way.  I'm not really good about remembering people if I don't make a conscious effort!

Months pass...we are now in August.  My fella had gone home for the summer, and we weren't really serious to begin with.  It was no surprise to either of us when we decided to stop dating.  I was working at Winn Dixie, where I had been working since high school.  Several times people in the store would tell me that a guy had been asking about me.  They would describe him and I would be clueless as to who it was.  One evening I was working in the office and this guy comes in the store.  He asks one of our cashiers a question (a dumb question, I might add) and thankfully, the cashier he asked was busy, so she referred him to me, the bookkeeper working up in the "box."  The question?  "How do you make pink icing?"  I had to come down out of the office to help this poor fellow.  We went to the baking aisle and I handed him a bottle of red food coloring.  I explained that you add the red food coloring to white icing and that will make it pink.  I walked away.  He then asks "So, you just dump the whole bottle in?"  I remember thinking: "This guy is seriously domestically challenged."  "No, you add a little bit at a time until you get the color you want."  He tells me some ridiculous story about making a cake for a friend, wanting it to be as embarrassing and feminine as possible.  I smiled and walked away.  He calls again "Can I ask you another question?"  I at this point really just wanted to get back to work.  I turned and responded "Sure.  What is it?"  "Do you have a boyfriend?"  "Uh...no."  "Would you like to go out sometime?"  Keep in mind I had worked at this store for 4.5 years.  I had been asked out by a variety of interesting and not-so-interesting people who shopped there.  I had NEVER, EVER said yes to ANY of them.  So, why did I say yes this time?  Call it God.  I felt safe, secure, and confident that this guy was a good one.  Obviously, that guy was Ben.  Even funnier, he did not realize that the girl he met on campus that was dating his RA and the girl in the grocery store were the same person.  At least his taste was consistent!  And, he had to write a check for the food coloring.  I think it was 97 cents.  I still have the bottle, because, after all, Ben is a VERY smart guy.  His little story was all just to get my phone number.  It turns out, I was the one that wasn't very bright...it took me YEARS to figure out it was just a very creative pickup line!

There is more to our love story than that, but this was the beginning.  We got married in May of 1991...7 children and 20 years later, here we are.  I am thankful to God for the man he brought into my life all of those years ago.  Thankful for my children.  And thankful for red food coloring :)



1 comment:

  1. Oh my gosh what cute pixs and a great love story! Congrats!
    -h

    ReplyDelete