If my youngest grandson Jacob asked me how grandma and I met, here's what I'd tell him.
He's my youngest grandson and he and I spent a lot of time together this past week when our family spent four days together for a special vacation at an Airbnb on Lake Michigan. He's talking more and more and many of his words are intelligible, at least, I thought I recognized many of them.
As part of our family celebration of birthdays and our 37th anniversary, my son-in-law Adam Jones, an ordained pastor conducted the ceremony on the shore of Lake Michigan near Union City. My oldest grandson Xavier was my best man, our oldest granddaughter Gretchen was Gladys' maid of honor. Our grandson Miles was ring bearer and the other two were cheerleaders.
During our time together two-year-old Jacob seemed to be asking me about how grandma and I met. He listened carefully as I told him about how we met at the church where I grew-up. She was the third grade teacher at the school I attended in the late 1950s. Our courtship was done in phases that involved a couple of matchmaking late aunts.
We reached a point in our relationship where God was like Blake Shelton on the Voice using his big finger to point over Gladys' head and say it was her. "Marry her." At the time, I wasn't shopping for a wife and Gladys wasn't looking for a husband. It just happened.
During this period, we'd have many Saturday morning breakfasts at Bay City's Char House where we'd eat blueberry pancakes and drink coffee. I came to one conclusion that God was right. She was the one. That was more than thirty-seven years ago.
Not having a flair for the dramatic, I visited Gladys in her classroom one day and got out my checkbook and went to the calendar and asked her what would be a good date to get married.
That was almost four decades ago. Best thing I've ever done was marry Gladys. She loves me unconditionally, but she loves Jesus even more. That's what makes our relationship work.
It was a great family vacation. God has given me more than I can appreciate.