Once upon a time, my Dad, Mum and I drove the 500kms from Broken Hill to Adelaide to celebrate the wedding of a long time family friend. I was 17 years old and had recently committed my life to the Lord. Due to various circumstances I simply wanted to follow God and be used by Him, without any distractions from the opposite gender. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life other than travel and serve the Lord, and finish my nursing studies. Looking for a boyfriend or even a husband [gasp!] was the absolute last thing on my mind.

The wedding we attended was a small and quiet affair. The family friend was somewhat indirectly related to me and she was older by about 15 years or so. After the wedding and afternoon tea in the church hall, close friends and family spent a lovely celebratory evening at their house. A lamb-on-the-spit and bonfire in their backyard. To be honest, I felt a little bit ‘out of it all‘ as everyone was at least 10 years older than me, or so it seemed.

My mum was pretty keen [an understatement if ever there was one!] to see me with a nice, Christian guy. Considering the alternatives, which she had witnessed due to my rebellion, I can see why she felt this way.

Whilst I was chatting to the next youngest person I could find, my mum was busy asking the bride about the best-man – was he single and available? Was He a Christian, a real Christian? (to quote my mum) Mum sidled up to me, pointed toward the best man, who was busy basting and sweating over the roasting lamb. She winked and uttered a few words that mothers and daughters can understand and as such should never disclose.

rp_johnbw.gif

I looked over at this guy. Um, did my mum realise how old he was? He had a beard for pete’s sake! And a moustache! What was she thinking?

I was too busy talking to the other, slightly younger guy who, it turns out was a student at Bible college. Even though I wasn’t interested in the slightest I did think that he would have been a better option – after all, he was more my age and he was a Christian. The other, older guy looked like some rough and tumble bikie, (as opposed to biker) trying to look decent by dressing in a suit. Both Mum and the bride encouraged me to at least talk to him, for he was:

  1. male
  2. not married or in a relationship, and a
  3. Christian

But I simply wasn’t interested in male company. Eye candy maybe, but not a relationship. C’mon, give me a break. I was 17, raised in the world and only been a Christian a short time.

I went into the lounge room to get my ugg boots and he (the bikie dude) was there. Gulp, no avoiding him without being rude. So, we started talking. He was quite easy to talk to and he laughed a lot. But he was still old. I was still young. Turns out that he was indeed a Christian! Who woulda thunk it? It turns out that he was best mates with the younger guy and he too, was a student at Bible College!

He seemed smart yet not smarmy. A genuine believer who really loved the Lord. He asked me lots of questions about myself, but not in a stalker type way. He really encouraged me in my walk with God. He quoted Scripture and spoke in Biblical words. Even his jokes were Bible puns and Christian funnies! How could I not be impressed? (Okay, fast forward a few years — I am not so easily impressed any more)

As we were sitting in the lounge-room talking, the cutest little boy, with a round face and the cheekiest smile ran inside and started tapping him on the leg…

“Daddy, I’m cold. Where’s my jumper?”

To be continued…