Over this last weekend a friend and I took a trip to a local theme park for the day. There was the possibility for rain, but in the midst of one of the worst droughts on record we decided to take our chances. It was shortly after lunch when we arrived. We loaded the tram for a ride to the front gate, and as if the heavens were waiting for a que, the torrential downpour began. We got through the gate as fast as we could but not without being drenched. It was so bad I had water in my eyes and my supposedly "waterproof" mascara was running down my face.
The closest place to take up shelter just happened to be in a bakery. It was divine intervention that led us there where we shared a giant homemade cinnamon roll! We were not the only ones that chose the bakery for shelter. Tables and chairs were scarce. After asking an elderly lady, Ava, if she minded to share her table, we made some new friends. Ava told us that she was with her husband and they had been on vacation for a month from their home in Phoenix, Arizona. She talked about how they don't have rain there so the rain and the hills were something they were trying to get used to. She even offered to share some of her food with us!
After several minutes her husband, Charlie, came riding up in a motorized wheelchair wearing his recently purchased poncho. Charlie was the talkative one and he was very eager to share his story. Charlie asked us if we were in college because my friend was wearing a Mizzou t-shirt. Now that was humorous considering we're not even close to college age anymore, but I guess to elderly people young people are just.... young! That led to a discussion about our favorite collegiate football and basketball teams. Charlie announced that he had attended Ohio State; therefore, he's a lifelong fan.
I think Ava was talking to my friend, but Charlie sure got a hold of my ear. He was dying to tell me about the circumstances surrounding how he met his beautiful wife Ava. Charlie was married to his first wife for 44 years. I do not know what happened to her, but I was led to believe she passed away. Charlie knew God had to have someone for him, but no one had emerged just yet. One night he knelt down at his bed to pray. "There's no bargaining with God because He's always in control." But he asked God to either send him someone or he was going to go buy a dog the next day. That very night Ava emailed him. They talked on the phone for 3 hours, and then.... they went to church together :) They both admitted that their faith was the most important thing in their lives, and they needed someone that would share it. Charlie was hooked! They were married 6 months later, and they have now been together 6 years.
Charlie also shared with me the accomplishments of his children and their wonderful marriages. When his daughters were getting married, he told both his future son-in-laws that there were only two events that people attended in this family. Weddings. And funerals. He informed them that people in his family did not get divorced and so they better make it work. Ha ha. I guess that's one way to get the point across.
If Ava hadn't been ready to move, I think Charlie was prepared to start looking to find both my friend and I single Christian men. Ava took off up the hill while Charlie tried to carefully maneuver his wheelchair and not run over anybody. They were quite the comical pair.
I don't believe in coincidence; I know God puts people in our paths for a reason. The reasons are not always obvious, but maybe this time I just needed a good story that would make me smile :D Charlie was quirky! I admit there were times I had no idea what he was saying. However, in that short conversation he shared with me his passion for the relationships in his life. His children were important; his wife was important; above all, his relationship with God was important. Not knowing whether or not I was a Christian, he began sharing with me how God worked in his life. Once he found out I was a Christian, he was excited about the special connection we shared. And even an elderly couple at a theme park gave us two single girls hope in finding someone to share life with because we're still..... young!
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