The first story I have for you, is from a friend of my mom's. After mom's passing last year, I had several opportunities to chat with ladies who had been her friends for years. It suddenly felt important to me to make some connections with these ladies who probably knew things about my mother that I didn't even know! This gave me the idea to ask Mary June to share the story of how she and her husband met. I also thought it would be interesting to hear stories from marriages of various lengths. So, here you go....
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Lavina and I first connected back in the 70ties when they came to Belize to teach Bible School at Doublehead Cabbage. We enjoyed them so much, and discovered we had many things in common. They were living in Arkansas which had many similarities to our life in Belize. I especially remember that she taught me to put a lee bit of butter or oil in my baking pan, heat in the oven then pour it hot into my cornbread batter before baking. I believe I think of her every time I make cornbread. We also had other things in common such as getting married the same year, we were close in age and we both enjoyed writing and being creative. We were in a circle letter of seven pastors' wives while our children were small and which continues sporadically today. I miss her letters and emails and those occasional chats face to face. She was a dedicated Godly woman and I was honored to be her friend.
Our Story
After 51 years of marriage, I ask myself if our story of “how we met” is anything special or worth writing? It is neither spectacular or unusual. It is simply a story of God’s grace in bringing two people into a journey of much happiness along with disappointment and heartaches. It was an unchartered path, totally out of our own comfort zone. It is actually God’s story, He is the one who planned our lives, He is the one who brought us together. He planned our family and the course of our journey through life.
Our story together begins in 1960. I had grown up in PA., a member of the Weavertown Congregation. I had just turned sixteen that summer and enjoyed being involved in youth activities. I loved the Lord and sought his will for my life. My greatest desire was to be a wife and mother, however I also felt a call in my heart to be involved in missions. My dream for a husband was that first of all he must be a Godly man with leadership qualities and that we could be involved together, in some type of ministry.
I was a part of a large active youth group. We were involved in tract distribution, sang in nursing homes, gave programs at churches and enjoyed social activities together. We also enjoyed Sunday night “singings” in people’s homes, where we sat around a table and sang, together. Some of our favorites were songs like, I’ll Fly Away, Jericho Road, A Beautiful Life, and many others. We sang with gusto, enjoying the rich harmony of four-part singing. Our dating policies were different from today. We enjoyed casual dating, just doing things together with other couples and learning to know the fellows in our youth group. Our youth group was growing through many youth coming into our congregation from the Old Order Amish Churches in the area.
I clearly remember one evening after a church service at Weavertown, one of my friends pointed out a young amish man, named Melvin Glick. She told me she had gone to school with him at a small Amish school, and I could tell she respected him. Melvin continued to attend our church, was baptized and became a part of our youth activities. I noticed a deep commitment in his life and a desire to grow in the Lord. I also noticed those leadership qualities that I had hoped for in a husband. One Sunday afternoon our youth group had gone to a nursing home to sing for the elderly clients. I was talking with a group of girls when a young man walked up and asked if he could take me to our Sunday night ‘singing”. I agreed and as he walked away, one of my friends told me that he had asked me for a date. I was not very happy. As I walked out to my car to go home, Melvin walked up and asked me for a date for that evening. Of course, I regretfully responded that I already had plans for the evening.
I waited impatiently for several month. Finally he asked me again and I gladly accepted the invitation for our first date. We dated for several years until he asked me to be his wife. March 7,1964 we were married at the Pequea Church in PA.
Last spring at our 50th anniversary, one of our sons remarked that we have had a full life. It has been full, full of joy and sorrow, of faith and trust in God’s direction and leading in our lives. We thank God for the journey through which he has led us. God blessed us with four children, two by birth, two by adoption and fifth-teen grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Our life feels complete, full of many happy memories. God is good.
After 51 years of marriage, I ask myself if our story of “how we met” is anything special or worth writing? It is neither spectacular or unusual. It is simply a story of God’s grace in bringing two people into a journey of much happiness along with disappointment and heartaches. It was an unchartered path, totally out of our own comfort zone. It is actually God’s story, He is the one who planned our lives, He is the one who brought us together. He planned our family and the course of our journey through life.
Our story together begins in 1960. I had grown up in PA., a member of the Weavertown Congregation. I had just turned sixteen that summer and enjoyed being involved in youth activities. I loved the Lord and sought his will for my life. My greatest desire was to be a wife and mother, however I also felt a call in my heart to be involved in missions. My dream for a husband was that first of all he must be a Godly man with leadership qualities and that we could be involved together, in some type of ministry.
I was a part of a large active youth group. We were involved in tract distribution, sang in nursing homes, gave programs at churches and enjoyed social activities together. We also enjoyed Sunday night “singings” in people’s homes, where we sat around a table and sang, together. Some of our favorites were songs like, I’ll Fly Away, Jericho Road, A Beautiful Life, and many others. We sang with gusto, enjoying the rich harmony of four-part singing. Our dating policies were different from today. We enjoyed casual dating, just doing things together with other couples and learning to know the fellows in our youth group. Our youth group was growing through many youth coming into our congregation from the Old Order Amish Churches in the area.
I clearly remember one evening after a church service at Weavertown, one of my friends pointed out a young amish man, named Melvin Glick. She told me she had gone to school with him at a small Amish school, and I could tell she respected him. Melvin continued to attend our church, was baptized and became a part of our youth activities. I noticed a deep commitment in his life and a desire to grow in the Lord. I also noticed those leadership qualities that I had hoped for in a husband. One Sunday afternoon our youth group had gone to a nursing home to sing for the elderly clients. I was talking with a group of girls when a young man walked up and asked if he could take me to our Sunday night ‘singing”. I agreed and as he walked away, one of my friends told me that he had asked me for a date. I was not very happy. As I walked out to my car to go home, Melvin walked up and asked me for a date for that evening. Of course, I regretfully responded that I already had plans for the evening.
I waited impatiently for several month. Finally he asked me again and I gladly accepted the invitation for our first date. We dated for several years until he asked me to be his wife. March 7,1964 we were married at the Pequea Church in PA.
Last spring at our 50th anniversary, one of our sons remarked that we have had a full life. It has been full, full of joy and sorrow, of faith and trust in God’s direction and leading in our lives. We thank God for the journey through which he has led us. God blessed us with four children, two by birth, two by adoption and fifth-teen grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Our life feels complete, full of many happy memories. God is good.
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Thank you, Mary June! It was special to have you share. Mary June has written a book, "No More Strangers", about some of her family's experiences living in Belize. I loved the book and I think you would too! You can buy it here.
2 comments:
I'm sure looking forward to this series and love that you started with a "golden" married couple!
And now I'm anxious to read No More Strangers!
Gina
I'm enthused that you are doing this again! So much fun to read other Christian people's love stories. :-) I immediately went and read the excerpt of Mary June's book. Sure makes me want to read the rest! I grew up close to Reading, PA and now live in MS, so I find any Lancaster/Berks county area stories fascinating.
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