In the summer of 1978,
after coming home from my first year at ABI, I met the love of my life, Esther
May Robertson. We met at Harvey Camp that summer! I was working at the Daily
Gleaner in "Display Advertising" and she had just returned from doing a Daily
Vacation Bible School tour in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and New
Brunswick. I remember our first date very well. It was August the 3rd!
That night after the camp meeting service I went to the canteen to get a hot
dog and fries. This beautiful dark haired girl was standing right in front of
me. Just as she got to the doorway of the canteen they shut the lights out and
said, “We are closed.”
As Esther turned to leave I said to her, “Have you eaten yet?” She replied, “No.” I said, “Would you like to go somewhere to get something to eat.” She agreed! So she offered that we go in her brothers Toyota Celica and away we went. She even let me drive! We got to Harvey and there wasn’t anything open so we continued on to Fredericton. We went to the Voyager Restaurant.
It was a nice first date! While we were there we talked about many things and in the conversation I shared the whole story with Esther about my trip to Fargo, North Dakota. She was so sympathetic because of what I had been through. We enjoyed the rest of the month getting to know one another and then on the 1st of September I was on my way back to St. Paul for my second year at ABI. But first, I made a special trip to Hatfield Point to say my goodbyes to this amazing woman that I had found and then I took off!
I think I called that girl and wrote nearly every day and it wasn’t long until we realized that we were both very much in love! I made plans to come home for Christmas and on December 24th, after my Dad’s Christmas Eve service in Hoyt, we were alone and sitting on the sofa in the parsonage and I asked Esther if she would marry me! She emphatically said, “YES”. I remember placing a diamond ring on her finger and I think I remember hearing our hearts actually started “beating in sync” with each other!
As we sat there she asked me, “Do you remember our first date and the story you told me about going to Fargo, North Dakota.” I said, “Yes.” She said, “I have something to tell you about that very same night. While I was in Bible School in Marysville, the Lord spoke to me and told me to go and pray for my husband....it’s urgent!” She said, “I had no idea at that time who my husband would be but I prayed into the night until I felt the burden lift. I’ve known from our very first date that I would be marrying you!” This is how our relationship began, built on prayer and faith, EVEN ACROSS THE MILES! SRR
As Esther turned to leave I said to her, “Have you eaten yet?” She replied, “No.” I said, “Would you like to go somewhere to get something to eat.” She agreed! So she offered that we go in her brothers Toyota Celica and away we went. She even let me drive! We got to Harvey and there wasn’t anything open so we continued on to Fredericton. We went to the Voyager Restaurant.
It was a nice first date! While we were there we talked about many things and in the conversation I shared the whole story with Esther about my trip to Fargo, North Dakota. She was so sympathetic because of what I had been through. We enjoyed the rest of the month getting to know one another and then on the 1st of September I was on my way back to St. Paul for my second year at ABI. But first, I made a special trip to Hatfield Point to say my goodbyes to this amazing woman that I had found and then I took off!
I think I called that girl and wrote nearly every day and it wasn’t long until we realized that we were both very much in love! I made plans to come home for Christmas and on December 24th, after my Dad’s Christmas Eve service in Hoyt, we were alone and sitting on the sofa in the parsonage and I asked Esther if she would marry me! She emphatically said, “YES”. I remember placing a diamond ring on her finger and I think I remember hearing our hearts actually started “beating in sync” with each other!
As we sat there she asked me, “Do you remember our first date and the story you told me about going to Fargo, North Dakota.” I said, “Yes.” She said, “I have something to tell you about that very same night. While I was in Bible School in Marysville, the Lord spoke to me and told me to go and pray for my husband....it’s urgent!” She said, “I had no idea at that time who my husband would be but I prayed into the night until I felt the burden lift. I’ve known from our very first date that I would be marrying you!” This is how our relationship began, built on prayer and faith, EVEN ACROSS THE MILES! SRR
No comments:
Post a Comment