This past year, I have heard a lot of never say never stories.
I heard the first in the Philippines from an amazing young woman. Do you ever meet someone and before you even get a chance to say hello, you think of course we're going to be friends? Well that is my friend Joy and this is her story.
A few years ago, Joy worked in youth ministry at her church. One day she received a phone call from a young man who wanted to see if her church would be interested in partnering with his ministry to deliver God's word to the young people of her community. She was happy to say yes and before she knew it, she and this young man (who also happened to have the Jesus glow), wound up communicating quite a lot. While for him their time working together was "I think I found my wife," for her, it was "Lord, am I ever going to get married? And why does this guy come around so much?" He asked her for permission to court her. She said, "Never. I'll always think of you as a friend, not a husband."
Being a very smart young man, he was naturally disappointed but had the good sense to leave it with the Lord. And the God of miracles answered his prayers. A few years later, I had the pleasure of sitting down to dinner with them to hear the story of their wedding day (no, I did not eat balut because I am anti-chick abortion).
Shortly after that, I heard a similar story in Indonesia. A young lady with a heart for the Lord decided to go to seminary where she met a brilliant young teacher who recognized his Eve almost immediately. Mutual friends let her know of his interest. She said, “Never! Why, a cow would have to turn into a horse before I'd marry him.” A year later, she married the young professor. Her friends, kind enough to want her to be a woman of her word on her wedding day, decorated the wedding hall with a banner of a cow turning into a horse.
Well, my own version of the story is not quite so exciting but I do hope the hand of the Lord is in it as well.
I said I’d never start a blog.
And now here you are reading.
I heard the first in the Philippines from an amazing young woman. Do you ever meet someone and before you even get a chance to say hello, you think of course we're going to be friends? Well that is my friend Joy and this is her story.
A few years ago, Joy worked in youth ministry at her church. One day she received a phone call from a young man who wanted to see if her church would be interested in partnering with his ministry to deliver God's word to the young people of her community. She was happy to say yes and before she knew it, she and this young man (who also happened to have the Jesus glow), wound up communicating quite a lot. While for him their time working together was "I think I found my wife," for her, it was "Lord, am I ever going to get married? And why does this guy come around so much?" He asked her for permission to court her. She said, "Never. I'll always think of you as a friend, not a husband."
Being a very smart young man, he was naturally disappointed but had the good sense to leave it with the Lord. And the God of miracles answered his prayers. A few years later, I had the pleasure of sitting down to dinner with them to hear the story of their wedding day (no, I did not eat balut because I am anti-chick abortion).
Shortly after that, I heard a similar story in Indonesia. A young lady with a heart for the Lord decided to go to seminary where she met a brilliant young teacher who recognized his Eve almost immediately. Mutual friends let her know of his interest. She said, “Never! Why, a cow would have to turn into a horse before I'd marry him.” A year later, she married the young professor. Her friends, kind enough to want her to be a woman of her word on her wedding day, decorated the wedding hall with a banner of a cow turning into a horse.
Well, my own version of the story is not quite so exciting but I do hope the hand of the Lord is in it as well.
I said I’d never start a blog.
And now here you are reading.
