Falling In Love

I wonder how you feel about falling in love. Do you go right to thoughts of your first love or is it the love of Jesus that stirs your soul. What is the love story you hold in your heart.

Here is a love story a friend from Michigan told me recently when I asked her about 'the man' in her life ~

"....the man

About 10 years ago I became friends with a woman who is my age in our church. Nice lady who needed a friend. I took her to ladies retreats and lunch dates. We found we had a lot in common. One of which was our grown children, their ages and their troubles. They both were going in wrong directions and so we spent a lot of time together praying about them and their futures, praying God's will in their lives.

It is a long and lovely story friend but I will shorten it for you. One of our brilliant ... we thought at the time ... ideas was for her to touch base with my daughter each week at church and I with her son. My daughter, as you know, is quiet, so was her son. Both felt unaccepted at church and they were right. I could tell by the glances of disapproval from members. Sad how church people can do that to so many when that and home should be the two places a person feels the most accepted just as they are.

Her son had long flowing exquisite brown hair. He walked slow, taking each step with care it seemed. He talked with tranquility in his voice. He always sat in a placid manner.

I did what we agreed to. Each week I would make certain to touch base with him through a handshake and introduced him to other friends and those who were more his age. It seemed to help others warm up to him. It seemed to fill him with confidence. He smiled more. He seemed more playful in nature. He was making friends.

Moving forward a few months...I found that I was becoming more intrigued and even mesmerized being in his presence. I wasn't sure what to make of it. I was 20 years older than he was. I had a daughter his age, this was preposterous to even think on. But something was happening inside me.

My friend and I would touch base to see how things were going. I would let her know I thought she was making a positive difference in my daughters life and she reported the same with her son. She said he had made more friends now with several people at the church and had even mentioned to me that he had met someone very special to him. While she continued talking, I wondered if I might be the special someone he had mentioned. I hoped it were so.

I began to notice that he would be turned around in the pew watching the door as if waiting for me to enter to say hello. His smile radiated a warmth and seemed to return the warmth I was holding inside for him.

Then a day came when he was not sitting in his standard place. I greeted friends then found my standard place, and waited for the service to begin. I sat there feeling empty like a piece of me was missing.

I suddenly felt his hand on my shoulder. I knew instantly it was him. I looked up and he was looking down, smiling at me. I knew then that his intentions in coming to church late was so he could sit near me instead of my saying hello to him then going to sit with other girlfriends. At least it seemed so and I hoped so.

I don't know for certain but I think when I began to fall in love with him, he was falling in love with me.

He began to show up at my work, using excuses for being there. We exchanged shaking hands for warm hugs. Hugs that lingered longer as the relationship grew. I had been sending him cards of encouragement through the mail. He began sending cards back to me, writing words of endearment on them.

It was where I could sense his presence. His scent was becoming familiar to me and a needful thing in my day. He would stick around after church service for fellowship time and we would talk for hours over a cup of coffee and sharing a muffin.

It was mysterious and magical. It was an innocent love. It seemed wrong but was so beautiful at the same time."

~~
My friend went on to tell me the rest of her love story. I won't bore you with the details but let you know it ended with love finding its way through the limitless boundaries of age and differences that only true love can master.

I would love to hear your story if you ever care to share