Category Archives: Prayer

Young Love (#55)

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As the days passed, Nate’s and my separation seemed to be taking a greater toll on us – although the old adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder was definitely true. Despite the distance and no way to talk on the phone, we were passionate about our love for each other and couldn’t wait to be together.

But God has a knack for using difficult experiences to produce spiritual fruit, and that was certainly happening with Nate.

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July 10, 1969 – Dearest Meg. I want you to know I’ve been thinking about my priorities. Christ comes first, then Meg and our family, and last, myself. Christ is everything to me, and this Army camp impresses this more firmly than any sermon I’ve heard. Experience is Christ’s best advocate, and tutor for prayer. The wonder of prayer – peace of mind through a personal relationship with Christ.

July 10, 1969 – Dear Nate. I went home tonight to see if I could help Mom do some packing before next month’s move. Instead of packing she was hosting a gigantic party for the entire neighborhood (50 people), and at the last minute, Dad had had to leave for an emergency meeting. Tommy, Mary, and Bervin all had other commitments, so she had no help. But she wanted to be a strong witness for Christ before moving away. I arrived just before the guests, and she was grateful. Then I stayed, watching Mom pass out Bibles to each family. She stood up and told them about her love for the Lord and his role in her daily life. They might have expected hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, but they got strawberry shortcake and religion instead. She was, by the way, very happy to grab my hand and show off my engagement ring to all her guests.

July 10, 1969 – Dearest Meg. I wish I was there to help you with all the wedding planning, but I will be soon! Prayer has been a comfort in coping with our separation. I’m anxious to try conversational prayer with you. Our regular prayer times mean so much. Every time I pray, I thank God for our engagement, and each time I mention that, I get a warm feeling of certainty that the Lord wants us to be married (and probably have 4 kidlets – Karen Meg, Brown Bear, Kenneth Hamilton, and Fort Riley Nyman).

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July 10, 1969 – Dear Nate. What do you think of our family photo? And on a more serious note, what do you think about having a couple of my X-kindergarteners in our wedding? We need a flower girl and a ring bearer, and I love the idea of having children in the ceremony. My only reservation is that there may be jealousy if word gets around that I’ve chosen some and not others. What do you think?

July 11, 1969 – Dearest Meg. We spent all morning (4:00 AM to 1:00 PM) on the daylight map course – using prominent terrain features and pace-counting to locate our points. The exercise was graded; my partner and I found all our points, so we did well. Tonight from 6:00 to midnight we have the night map course using a lensatic compass. But I am thinking of you constantly. I thank the Lord there are only 14 training days left, 9 days in the field. But the days go quickly with thoughts of you.

“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Young Love (#50)

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God seemed to be orchestrating everything perfectly as Nate moved through a multi-step proposal to me, very early on the morning of July 4th, 1969 –about 4:00 AM.

The words below were taken from a post-proposal write-up I made after getting back to Chicago on July 6. (When I wrote it, I didn’t dream anyone but me would ever read it, so it’s far from a polished piece of writing.)

After ending yesterday’s blog with Nate’s gently whispered question, “Will you marry me?” we’ll pick up the story with my very loud response:

“Ohhhh yessss!”

engagedThen, with kisses and a request for me to close my eyes, Nate brought the ring out of his pocket and slipped it on my finger. My heart was beating double-time! When he hugged me, I threw my arms around him tightly so the ring would land right in front of my eyes when I opened them… and there it was, the most brilliant, dazzling diamond ever to be on a girl’s finger.

Words couldn’t come fast enough for me then as I exclaimed of its beauty, its sparkle, its perfection beyond my every expectation. And most of all, words of its meaning in my now being really and truly committed to Nate!

“But wait,” he said. “There’s more.”

maraschino-cherriesFirst and most important, we bowed together before the Lord in prayer, thanking Him, dedicating ourselves. Then Nate disap- peared into the motel room bathroom and returned with a bottle of Portuguese champagne packed in the Holiday Inn ice bucket along with two Holiday Inn plastic glasses, a “love bug” corkscrew bought especially for the occasion, two oranges for us to feed each other, and a glass of Maraschino cherries soaking in tiny ice cubes, ready to pop into our mouths.

We toasted our engagement and our future, punctuating everything with smiles and warm laughter. I felt so much love for him. But he wasn’t through even yet. He left for the bathroom again, this time snapping off even the one light he’d left burning. Returning slowly, he reappeared with a big 4th of July cake topped with multiple lit candles flickering in the dark room. The candles were arranged in a circle with a cross stuck into the frosting in the center. “… to represent eternal love,” he said, “governed by Christ.”

Together we blew out the candles, a little late since the top layer of frosting was covered with tallow, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying this sweet treat. “Every engagement party has to have a cake!” he said. We cut it into pieces with the end of my rat-tail comb for lack of anything better.

excitedEven in all the frivolity, which got stronger and stronger, it was neat to realize our decision had been officially made to marry – the first official step toward which was completed at 4:45 AM in Topeka, Kansas, on the 4th of July, 1969.

There was a lot of kissing and hugging, after which Nate went back into the bathroom, emerging with a big beach ball! What’s a proposal without a rousing game of dive-and-catch? And lastly, he gave me a small American flag on a stick to represent his involvement in the military on this special day, a blend of romance and patriotism.

As our celebration was ending, the sun was rising, full of beauty and July 4th enthusiasm, but not nearly as dazzling as my gleaming diamond ring. I told Nate I loved him more and more and more, and promised my gift of a lifetime of love, support, devotion, and loyalty.

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.” (Song of Songs 4:9)

Young Love (#49)

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Nate’s and my excitement mounted as the days ticked off toward our engagement weekend. I was all set to take an early morning train from Chicago to Topeka on July 3rd, but there was one big problem. The ring still hadn’t arrived to my apartment mailbox. Since there was no way to phone Nate and it was too late for a letter to reach him, I had only one choice: a telegram. So on the morning of Thursday, July 3rd, I sent word to Ft. Riley:

“NO RING YET. WILL WAIT FOR THURSDAY MAIL AND COME ON LATEST TRAIN. LOVE MEG”

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When the mailman came walking down our city sidewalk that day, I was waiting for him. “Do you have a package for me?” And sure enough, he did. My heart had butterflies as I raced into the apartment to show my roommate. The two of us held hands and jumped up and down like a couple of kindergarteners, rejoicing over a small unopened brown box we knew had treasure hidden inside.

dearborn-st-stationI tucked the package into the center of my suitcase and headed downtown by “L” train, to the Dearborn Street Station. Though the late train rolled into Topeka after 2:00 AM, Nate was there waiting for me. And just like the song said, “His arms opened wide and closed me inside.” I was in heaven.

[ The following account is taken from a retrospective I wrote after arriving home on July 6. Please forgive the sentimentality! ]

When we arrived at the motel, room 136, Nate kindly asked me to relax on the sofa while he excused himself for a moment. I propped my head up with two fresh pillows he’d given me, and my imagination ran wild with thoughts of what beautiful, creative things that fantastic man might do.

Shortly he returned with one hand behind his back, a glow on his cheeks, and the grin of all grins on his face. He was curbing his excitement, it was obvious, and by this time I was very much doing the same thing. As he walked toward me, he clicked off several lights, leaving only one low bulb burning, that being the lamp just above my head.

He pulled a chair up to my side and brought the Gideon Bible from behind his back, a pale blue cover with deep blue around the edges. It was open to “Song of Solomon” from which he began reading: “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair.”

I watched his eyes move across the lines, catching their sparkle when, every so often, on a meaningful phrase, he would raise his gaze to meet mine, communicating an added sacredness to the occasion. How beautiful and right that the words of Scripture should precede all else.

retrospectiveI watched his lips as they read the words, from chapters 4 and 7: “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.” The words were sincere, articulate, and wonderful in my ears as he read, leaning close, speaking softly, clearly, meaningfully. I loved him more than ever before and felt closer.

When he finished, he looked through my eyes and into my open heart, talking calmly and thoughtfully of the elements of an engagement bond, of a marriage commitment, of OUR bond and OUR commitment, of what the future would hold, of how he would treat his wife and children, of how our home and our individual lives would be based on the guidance and never-failing love of Christ, who brought us together and fanned our love-flame into a strong warm glowing fire.

After setting the Bible on the floor, he took me into his arms for a moment without saying a word… and then whispered, “Will you marry me?”

“The greatest… is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)