That blooming rose!

I remember the first time I glanced across the sanctuary and saw his unfamiliar face. His head was slightly bent as if he was still praying about something.

My friend, Dave, had just told me he found the man for me! I said “You’ve got to be kidding, where did you find him?” He replied, “Right here, last week. He came to church and when Pastor asked if any one wanted to come forward for prayer or anything, he went right up there and said he wanted to be a member of our church.”

I had been praying, telling God if He wanted me to have a man in my life he would just have to bring him to me. I had found plenty in the few years I had been single, but not here at church. And I wasn’t really looking for a husband, you understand? Just a nice guy to date, cuddle up with, all those fun things without the responsibility of marriage.

Well, it wasn’t long until Gary began to glance across the sanctuary each Sunday looking for me (I suppose Dave told him he had found a lady for him!) but since he was kind of shy, I had to make the first move. One Sunday I got to church before him and sit down in his pew. He seemed pretty happy to sit down next to me.

We discovered within the next few months that we had several favorite things in common: The full moon, roses, the desire for single friends to hang out with and a special interest in each other!

On one of our first dates he brought me a small flowerpot with a miniature bush full of rosebuds. He said, “We will watch these buds bloom as our love for each other blooms.” Hey, with a line like that I didn’t have a chance. I just fell--hook, line and sinker!

The day finally came when he proposed and I was so shocked I just sat there speechless for a few minutes and then said, "Yep".

I said, “If I am going to get married again we have to have an engagement. I have never been engaged, just decided to tie the knot and got married. There has to be an engagement ring and it has to be a real wedding with a real wedding dress (I didn’t have a wedding gown the first time) and reception.” He said, “Of course and a wedding veil!”

We were married four months later in the little church where we met. Our marriage has been an answer to prayer for both of us. We became best friends while attending the various singles functions, and then admitted to being in love (Gary said he knew from the “get go” that God meant for us to be married). He was very patient waiting for me to realize that marriage was the next step toward God’s plan for us.

And by the way, the rose bush he gave me when we first began to date is still blooming and is no longer a miniature rose bush. It stands about three feet high and blooms almost non-stop the year around.