25- Our Courtship

Our hero, Dan, having recently returned to his home town, Reno, found himself falling in love.

A back story that is relevant: The first time Al came into the place Dan was working, the way the light was shining through the windows behind him, Dan thought an angel had just entered the room. It seemed at the time like an unusual supernatural experience.

Dan was working in his brother’s shop but also looking for a full-time job. When Al realized that Dan had been in construction he invited him to relocate and to work with him in building his house in Colorado. Dan was still recovering from his divorce, so the job offer filled a need and it was indeed a life-line. Within a few months, Dan became born again. By the time the job ended and Dan felt the Lord’s leading to return home, Al and Barbara thought of Dan as a son and protectively wanted to be sure his brand new faith in God would be nourished.

Dan found refuge in our warehouse church, where he was quickly embraced. Wanting to serve, he worked at several janitorial jobs, kept the tape notebook in order, worked the transparency machine during worship, and taught a Sunday School class. The friendships he made and the many church activities became an exciting new life. In the men’s fellowship meetings he learned about being a Christian husband, teaching him many things he hadn’t known in his first marriage.

We met in October and had been becoming very good friends since then. I was learning to trust men again, after all of my cavorting as a divorcé.

Dan’s journaling continues:

APRIL  Georgann’s birthday party, April 5, she turned 33. Lots of friends gathered.

Men’s fellowship meetings at church are bringing more encouragement and instruction in my role: commitment, devotion, honor, becoming one, bringing us together, supporting her. Realized the need of my walking out that role and rejoiced in the opportunity to do so. I didn’t fear it or feel inadequate. I had God’s backing, His headship. By the strength of that God-given attitude I took flowers, visited her at work, accepted every opportunity to see her, had a clear conscience, and by faith I trusted every inspiration as God-given. Experienced a guilty conscience only when I overlooked an opportunity to love her.

[I found out later that Karen was praying fervently for me to SEE that Dan was truly the answer to our prayers. I didn’t have a clue. I only knew I felt safe with him and enjoyed his company and his loyalty.]

May 24^th  Wednesday evening. Visited G at her new job at the plant nursery and I told her I would see her after church. Holy Spirit would not allow my usual racquetball game that night. Had to cancel out.

Georgann had been to see Bill, a Christian counselor, and had realized the illusion/fantasy of waiting on this other man. She did not tell me that tonight, but by the grace of God I was there at the time that it died.

May 27^th  Mike and Jan’s wedding. We shared the experience and toyed with the idea of teaching youth group together.

May 28^th Lunch meeting about youth group. Nancy couldn’t make it so we had lots of time together.

May 31^st. Wednesday night Bible study. Trusted God to seat me where I belonged. Sat by young Mike, found myself next to Georgann without looking for her.

Holy Spirit compelled me to face Craig [one of the church leaders] with my position about my ex-wife and Georgann—because he and others expected reconciliation and the pressure was weird.

June 2^nd By divine appointment and timing, I showed up at G’s house. We made dinner for Karen and then I went to a gathering at Aug’s house to discuss men’s fellowship teachings.

PRAYED FOR GOD TO SANCTIFY OUR LOVE IN OUR FIRST TEARFULLY JOYOUS EMBRACE.

June 3^rd Saturday morning. Unexpected time slot opened to spend time with Georgann to share what God had to say about our drawing together: to stay far enough apart to have His eyes and Him predominantly.

June 4th My stupid caution and self-protection measures gloriously smashed–we spent the entire afternoon together divinely close, within prayer that only He could draw us together.

Tempered our ultra-high with Georgann running out of gas and a chance to get down to earth, helping.

June 8^th Georgann told me she’d been relieved of her ‘cross she bore’ in waiting for the other man. I was afraid to ask, but did, found out, and all was open and understood, and we were able to pray for a complete washing from the past.

God really did it then, set us both free, we must have glowed, I know she did; He put us together in Him, and brought us both to the happiest time of our lives recognizing God’s work in each other (undeniably His work, oh what beautiful work) and experiencing the Glory and giving it back to Him and bathing in His Spirit.

Impossible in the world, impossible except by faith in Christ, and blessed by freedom from fear, doubt, and guilt.