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.
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