THEN I MET MARY

As a young person, I had heard Billy Graham speak of an experience with his daughter of eight years of age. "Daddy, does God know who I am going to marry some day?" Her dad replied, "God knows everything, let's pray for him right now." That struck a chord in my heart and I began regularly praying for that girl God knew I would marry. I did some dating after my time in Wheaton, but I always kept their names out of that prayer that belonged to God's choice. By the time I headed to Hutchinson, I was quite disillusioned with the girls I had dated. Then I met Mary.

When I arrived at Central Christian in Hutchinson, there she was waiting to meet me.(she told me that later on) I was immediately interested in this Mary Tucker. She played me in tetherball at a school picnic a couple of days later and won my heart by shinning up the pole to clobber the ball so I would not win. This was some girl.

At the opening school service where we gave testimonies, I sat in the row behind her. She had a date and that really troubled me. I did not understand it because I barely knew her, but in my spirit I just knew she should not be with him.

It was not many days until I realized the girl I was praying for and Mary were the same person. The more I saw her, the more I realized that this girl was all that I was looking for in one to spend my life with.

Mary went home to Salina on weekends. It was probably the middle of September when I called and asked if I could come and sit with her in the evening service at Salina Bible Church. I sat there that night during the service and visualized what our wedding would be like. When Mary and I were saying our vows at our wedding nine months later, my thoughts flashed back to the first time sitting with Mary and visualizing that day. God had graciously led me to Hutchinson to meet the girl of my dreams. Mary, I found I was soon very much in love with you and now 42 years later I love you even so much more.