FIVE DOLLARS
PAID DIVIDENDS
My wife, Delois, and I, last August celebrated 49 years of marriage and they have been pleasant and sweet years as we have served the Lord together as a real team.
On our most recent celebration, I was a patient at a St. Louis hospital during our anniversary and a therapist bought roses for my wife on that day since I was without my billfold or credit card for security reasons. He was a dear friend and celebrated the day with us.
As all of my readers know we have traveled to many areas of the world and ministered together. She has always been a close partner and companion.
I have especially grown to appreciate her these last 17 months of hospitalization and being homebound. She has been just as incarcerated as me caring for my every day needs and being the nurse for my wounds.
She and I had both been engaged before we even knew each other, but both engagements had been broken and nearly a year had lapsed before we met.
Our meeting occurred in February of 1958 and we were married in August. A brief period according to standards set 49 years ago.
Our introduction came from a state policeman who was from her church, but who attended mine on Wednesday nights.
He once asked, “Why have you never married?” I said, “I am waiting for God to pick one out for me.”
He became our cupid.
His invitation to visit him and his wife in his town was the beginning of our date life. We were taken by him to an A & W Root beer drive inn and he then dismissed himself. We looked at each other then I said, “Do you think this was a setup?” I’m sure glad it was.
That began a regular weekly drive for me to date her about 45 miles each way. I knew she was the one within three weeks and would have married her then, but the church I pastored would have looked with disfavor.
It was during our dating period that I found a five dollar bill the next morning after a date with Delois. I had a flat on my car two mornings before the day of the date and then the day of the date again.
I had been broke for a few days and couldn't understand the sudden testing on my already exhausted funds. In those days, I made all of $15 dollars a week at a young thriving church.
The next morning after the date I returned to the car and for a fourth time in a row I had a flat on the same tire. I grasp the steering wheel with tears about to flow when I spotted the money on the dash. Where did that come from I wondered?
I returned into the house where I lived in the attic apartment of a church deacon's home. I felt they had left the bill there, but they smiled at me and said they hadn't.
I didn't believe these precious people since they had been so good to me many times before and was convinced they had left it there all these 49 years until recently when my wife and I were recalling our dating days.
As I mentioned how good that couple had been to me and recalled that peculiar gift; she interrupted and said, "I don't want to take anything away from your belief in them, but I left the $5.00. I wanted you to come back at the end of the week and knew you couldn't without a miracle, so I thought I would help God out!"
Then she said, "I believe I made a good investment!
This August we will have invested 50 years in each one’s life. That is another miracle!
Of all our trips, the life together has been our best trip.
Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; “
My wife, Delois, and I, last August celebrated 49 years of marriage and they have been pleasant and sweet years as we have served the Lord together as a real team.
On our most recent celebration, I was a patient at a St. Louis hospital during our anniversary and a therapist bought roses for my wife on that day since I was without my billfold or credit card for security reasons. He was a dear friend and celebrated the day with us.
As all of my readers know we have traveled to many areas of the world and ministered together. She has always been a close partner and companion.
I have especially grown to appreciate her these last 17 months of hospitalization and being homebound. She has been just as incarcerated as me caring for my every day needs and being the nurse for my wounds.
She and I had both been engaged before we even knew each other, but both engagements had been broken and nearly a year had lapsed before we met.
Our meeting occurred in February of 1958 and we were married in August. A brief period according to standards set 49 years ago.
Our introduction came from a state policeman who was from her church, but who attended mine on Wednesday nights.
He once asked, “Why have you never married?” I said, “I am waiting for God to pick one out for me.”
He became our cupid.
His invitation to visit him and his wife in his town was the beginning of our date life. We were taken by him to an A & W Root beer drive inn and he then dismissed himself. We looked at each other then I said, “Do you think this was a setup?” I’m sure glad it was.
That began a regular weekly drive for me to date her about 45 miles each way. I knew she was the one within three weeks and would have married her then, but the church I pastored would have looked with disfavor.
It was during our dating period that I found a five dollar bill the next morning after a date with Delois. I had a flat on my car two mornings before the day of the date and then the day of the date again.
I had been broke for a few days and couldn't understand the sudden testing on my already exhausted funds. In those days, I made all of $15 dollars a week at a young thriving church.
The next morning after the date I returned to the car and for a fourth time in a row I had a flat on the same tire. I grasp the steering wheel with tears about to flow when I spotted the money on the dash. Where did that come from I wondered?
I returned into the house where I lived in the attic apartment of a church deacon's home. I felt they had left the bill there, but they smiled at me and said they hadn't.
I didn't believe these precious people since they had been so good to me many times before and was convinced they had left it there all these 49 years until recently when my wife and I were recalling our dating days.
As I mentioned how good that couple had been to me and recalled that peculiar gift; she interrupted and said, "I don't want to take anything away from your belief in them, but I left the $5.00. I wanted you to come back at the end of the week and knew you couldn't without a miracle, so I thought I would help God out!"
Then she said, "I believe I made a good investment!
This August we will have invested 50 years in each one’s life. That is another miracle!
Of all our trips, the life together has been our best trip.
Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; “
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