Engagement!

August 3, 2020

“Oh Jim! Oh Jim! Oh Jim!” That’s all she said. I was on one knee, asking Linda to be my wife. She never said, “Yes.” To be sure, six months later, she did say, “I do,” but she never actually said, “yes.” It had just turned midnight on December 1st, 1969, and we had gotten things a bit out of order. No...I don’t mean that! I hadn’t asked her father’s blessing. So at about 1:00 am, I called. He answered, gave his blessing, and we hung up. In the morning, Linda’s mom asked, “What did Jim want when he called?” 

“Jim called?” was his response, lesson being, if you want the right answer, you have to know when to ask the question.

All that came rushing back today with a text picture from our granddaughter Abi. In the blink of an eye, she went from being a girlfriend to being a fiancée, and we are delighted! Jake is a fine young man who loves the Lord and knows his responsibility to protect her heart. They stopped by an hour later so she could show us her ring in person. We talked and sent them on their way with our blessing also. 

It’s different when it’s your grandchildren. They are one generation removed and we are just that much older that our perspective is slightly changed. We are fortunate in having been a big part of their lives, more so than most grandparents. The fact that she wanted us to see says a lot. They can only imagine the blessings and the challenges that lie before them. Linda and I are at that stage in life where most of the challenges are behind us and many blessings yet before us, but even with fifty years of experience, we cannot imagine how different the world will be for them. The one constant through our marriage is the same as will be for them: Jesus is Lord, and in him is a love and mercy greater than they know, which is the source and fountain in which their love will flourish to bless them as it has blessed us. What was an otherwise ordinary day has been made extraordinary by being privileged to share in their joy.