Michael and I have been married for over fourteen years now. I recently had someone ask me how we met. As I retold the story, I enjoyed seeing the evidence of God at work from the very beginning. So, since Michael has once again requested a blog entry, he'll play a big role in this one.
Long, long ago (well a couple decades ago) there were two friends named Marvin and Pieter. They were nice little old men in their seventies who were equally passionately devoted to their God. These two friends loved to visit back and forth with their wives at the white house on Brandon and the brick house on Kinney.
Now, Pieter had a grandson named Michael who lived in Colorado and Marvin had a grand-daughter named Pam who lived in Hudsonville. God was working in Michael, calling him back to his extended family in Michigan and most importantly, to Himself. So Michael moved from Colorado and found a job, housing and a church family in Grand Rapids. He wasn't looking for a girlfriend but he hadn't counted on two old matchmakers.
When Michael arrived in Michigan he spend many blessed hours with his grandparents talking about who God is and how He works in the hearts and lives His people. On several Sunday evenings, he would join his grandparents visiting with his Opa's friends Marve and Margie. It was on one of these occasions, as he sat in the living room chair, that Marve "casually" commented, "You know, I have a grand-daughter who isn't seeing anyone right now." Michael was mildly intrigued and looked over the pictures on the shelf next to him wondering which one was the mystery grand-daughter. He didn't say much but a seed of a thought had been planted. The next couple weeks he was peeking over to the chapel in church, trying to figure out who Marve had been referring to. Glasses? No glasses? He was quite confused.
So, for reasons that make no sense except to say that it was a God-thing, Michael decided to call me up and chat. Being a real phone person, he found it pretty easy to carry on a conversation. In the course of the conversation he commented to me that he didn't even really know what I looked like. Well, how was I to answer that observation?! "My mom thinks I'm pretty?" So, what popped out of my mouth was, "Well, I'm 5'3" and weigh 200 lbs." Now, I know my brother, the minister, will tell me there is no lie of necessity. I'm not so sure. Anyway, Michael knew I was kidding and we just laughed and let that go. But, maybe a bit wary because of that, he didn't ask me out on a date during that phone conversation.
However, a few days later, in the height of haying season, our phone rang again. Dad happened to be in the house getting something before we were going to unload the next wagon load of hay. Imagine our amazement when he came running, YES, RUNNING, (so hard to imagine now) from the house back to the barn. "Michael Maartense is on the phone for you," he told me. I like to think that it was because he was so eager for anyone else to be blessed by my conversation and presence that he was in such a hurry. Not that he saw a faint glimmer of possibility that some young man might take his daughter off his hands.
Well, another phone conversation led to that first date. Mom knew Michael was the one when I came home and said, "Mom, I think I kind of like this guy." She had been mentally preparing herself for my list of things that deemed this fellow, "Not Mr. Right". More dates led to hockey Saturdays when Michael and I would hang out with his brother John and watch three hockey games with food mixed in there somewhere. Those were good times that we still talk about.
So the weeks turned into months under the watchful eyes of these two little grandpas. Imagine their excitement when our engagement was announced. As the wedding grew closer, I imagine them giving themselves pats on the back. Their matchmaking had been a success. But I know that on our wedding day, they both were thanking God for the way He had worked and allowed them to play a tiny little role in His big plan for our lives.
But yes, it is true, our grandpas set us up.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Laundry or Lives
Want to know a secret? My laundry isn't all folded. I have a pile of towels on the kitchen counter and a pile of sheets and socks on the couch. Want to know something else? I might not fold them until tomorrow morning. Shhh. That's just between us, though. I thought maybe you could use some encouragement that it's okay not to have everything checked off the to-do list. Actually, I'm trying to encourage myself of that fact.
What did I do today that kept me from getting the clothes folded? I got to spend the morning at BSF and eat lunch with my friend Bonny and twelve lovely kids during our fellowship time. Just spending that time with her blessed me. She made me smile with her enthusiastic reading of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and I saw Christ's love for children shining through her. I always say that I can't quit BSF until I get to lead with my friend Judy. (There's a story there for another day...she's my "almost" co-leader.) Well, I guess I have to have at least two years yet because I want to lead with Bonny too! Oh, and Becca and Sally and Bekah and Conni and Becki and...all of them! And no new leaders should join because then I'll get to enjoy them so much I'll want to lead with them too...and I'll never be done! I got to have little Oliver and Owen's smiles wash over me as they talked about seeing me in class on Wednesday. What a sweet bond grows with these ones that we get to pray over.
After Bible Study it was time for a stop for groceries. I really don't enjoy this task. But God gave me another blessing as I walked in the store and met one of our new-this-year Children's Leaders. She has some of the cutest kids I have ever seen and I've been able to just look in their eyes and enjoy them over the past two Mondays. What a wonderful surprise to connect with her and find out she lives in Allendale too! With the busyness of the mornings I hadn't gotten to talk to her; but God gave a little time to connect at Save-A-Lot.
Then a fun trip on the library and a return home where the kids sank into their books. I found a lovely email from my friend Vicki with another encouragement for me. Then it was time to check in and see how dad's surgery was going. Well, I could have folded a load of laundry after that, but instead I chose to sit in the recliner, rocking Abby and singing to her. Then I managed to snag Micah for a little cuddle time and a couple songs. He pretends he doesn't like it, but he really does. As the older kids arrived home I sang to them too. Grace had been helping push the recliner back and forth as I sang to Micah. She looked straight in my eyes when I finished his song. She was waiting, sweetly confident that her mom wouldn't leave her out. That expectancy was a gift to me. I held her gaze and sang to her, "You are my big girl, my only big girl, you make me happy, when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take my big girl away." She's nine, and rarely rocks in the chair with me. But I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to pour sincere affirmation into her. I even sang to Caleb, the almost eleven-year old who plugged his ears, but was grinning the whole time.
After this sweet interlude, we couldn't escape the clock any longer. It was time to hop up and help review spelling, oversee math, sign the planners, make some supper, greet dad, eat the supper, clean up after the supper, send dad and two kids out the door to BSF and straighten the kitchen some more, help Micah with his Explode the Code pages and listen to him read. Then the two little ones loaded their library books into backpacks and headed into the basement to play school. The phone rang, giving me an opportunity to connect with someone else who I want to get to know better. It was neat to be able to share some things from our BSF training time this morning with her. I think God had my supervisor express some insights, knowing they would be helpful to myself and this other one. I enjoyed the short little conversation and hung up feeling blessed again and encouraged. God had been so good to me all throughout the day; going ahead of me, meeting me and blessing me through time with others.
Then, what to do with the next hour before bedtime for the little ones? Well, I could get to those towels. Instead I chose to curl up with a book I'd picked up from the library; "The Hiding Place". It's not all the time that the kids play so nicely they don't need my attention. I can fold towels while talking to them. I can't read while talking to them. So I chose to grab this time for myself; to read and pause over certain lines, letting them sink in and challenge and encourage me. Time well spent, I believe.
It's always a battle for me; that balance between mundane but necessary work and spending time investing in relationships. Today, I'm comfortable with where I've landed. Tomorrow will be a new day with new events and challenges. I feel just a bit better prepared to greet the day having been shored up by the sweet connects God gave me throughout today.
What did I do today that kept me from getting the clothes folded? I got to spend the morning at BSF and eat lunch with my friend Bonny and twelve lovely kids during our fellowship time. Just spending that time with her blessed me. She made me smile with her enthusiastic reading of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and I saw Christ's love for children shining through her. I always say that I can't quit BSF until I get to lead with my friend Judy. (There's a story there for another day...she's my "almost" co-leader.) Well, I guess I have to have at least two years yet because I want to lead with Bonny too! Oh, and Becca and Sally and Bekah and Conni and Becki and...all of them! And no new leaders should join because then I'll get to enjoy them so much I'll want to lead with them too...and I'll never be done! I got to have little Oliver and Owen's smiles wash over me as they talked about seeing me in class on Wednesday. What a sweet bond grows with these ones that we get to pray over.
After Bible Study it was time for a stop for groceries. I really don't enjoy this task. But God gave me another blessing as I walked in the store and met one of our new-this-year Children's Leaders. She has some of the cutest kids I have ever seen and I've been able to just look in their eyes and enjoy them over the past two Mondays. What a wonderful surprise to connect with her and find out she lives in Allendale too! With the busyness of the mornings I hadn't gotten to talk to her; but God gave a little time to connect at Save-A-Lot.
Then a fun trip on the library and a return home where the kids sank into their books. I found a lovely email from my friend Vicki with another encouragement for me. Then it was time to check in and see how dad's surgery was going. Well, I could have folded a load of laundry after that, but instead I chose to sit in the recliner, rocking Abby and singing to her. Then I managed to snag Micah for a little cuddle time and a couple songs. He pretends he doesn't like it, but he really does. As the older kids arrived home I sang to them too. Grace had been helping push the recliner back and forth as I sang to Micah. She looked straight in my eyes when I finished his song. She was waiting, sweetly confident that her mom wouldn't leave her out. That expectancy was a gift to me. I held her gaze and sang to her, "You are my big girl, my only big girl, you make me happy, when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take my big girl away." She's nine, and rarely rocks in the chair with me. But I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to pour sincere affirmation into her. I even sang to Caleb, the almost eleven-year old who plugged his ears, but was grinning the whole time.
After this sweet interlude, we couldn't escape the clock any longer. It was time to hop up and help review spelling, oversee math, sign the planners, make some supper, greet dad, eat the supper, clean up after the supper, send dad and two kids out the door to BSF and straighten the kitchen some more, help Micah with his Explode the Code pages and listen to him read. Then the two little ones loaded their library books into backpacks and headed into the basement to play school. The phone rang, giving me an opportunity to connect with someone else who I want to get to know better. It was neat to be able to share some things from our BSF training time this morning with her. I think God had my supervisor express some insights, knowing they would be helpful to myself and this other one. I enjoyed the short little conversation and hung up feeling blessed again and encouraged. God had been so good to me all throughout the day; going ahead of me, meeting me and blessing me through time with others.
Then, what to do with the next hour before bedtime for the little ones? Well, I could get to those towels. Instead I chose to curl up with a book I'd picked up from the library; "The Hiding Place". It's not all the time that the kids play so nicely they don't need my attention. I can fold towels while talking to them. I can't read while talking to them. So I chose to grab this time for myself; to read and pause over certain lines, letting them sink in and challenge and encourage me. Time well spent, I believe.
It's always a battle for me; that balance between mundane but necessary work and spending time investing in relationships. Today, I'm comfortable with where I've landed. Tomorrow will be a new day with new events and challenges. I feel just a bit better prepared to greet the day having been shored up by the sweet connects God gave me throughout today.
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