Friday, March 25, 2011

TOGETHER FOREVER - A Story of two police constables


Sarah and Mitch's wedding cake - handcuffs and all!

It's not often two police from the same local area command get married. Want to know how it happened? 
Sarah joined the force in 2009, and she was placed in the same area where Mitch worked in General Duties. Her training officer was a good friend of Mitch and made sure they were introduced to the new recruit. But this being her first year, Sarah was determined to focus on this alone, without distractions. 

However, this burly constable was immediately attracted to this attractive blonde and decided to follow up. He chatted with her awhile and mentioned he attended church. Sarah's ears pricked up. She never expected to meet a fellow Christian in the police force because she knew the lifestyle and the exposure to the worst of people was challenging to both body and spirit. But their conversation flowed easily as they spoke about church and families. When Mitch invited her to a colleague's house to meet others in their workplace, she readily accepted as she wanted to see where his interest in her led.

They spent the whole evening talking together for hours, and Sarah felt like they'd been friends for years. And after dating him several times, she came to the conclusion that there was much more to this man than his tough exterior and the no-nonsense approach he displayed at work. Without being aware of it at first, they both fell in love. No other relationship had been so right for either of them. They simply began as friends and knew they fit together like two halves joined.

Both agree they'd never thought they'd ever meet a Christian partner in their profession. Sarah is adamant that it wasn't coincidence, for she knows without a doubt that the Lord had arranged for her to be stationed where Mitch worked. She believes implicitly it was God's plan in bringing them together because they were meant for each other. There were no doubts about their relationship right from the start, and no doubts nine months later when Mitch asked her to marry him in February, 2011. And the tongue-in-cheek decoration on their wedding cake was a potent reminder of God's ultimate plan for each of them.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

An Aussie Fifty-Year-Old Romance

I knew all about the fiery violinist at Youth For Christ Saturday night rallies before he ever laid eyes on me. And I especially enjoyed it when he sang lead in the Gospel quartet. But I was was just one in a crowd until the Lord stepped into the picture and I was introduced to this young man by mutual friends.
Well, how can I explain it except by saying sparks flew. We found we had so much in common. And most of all, we both wanted to serve the Lord. After hearing I was a ceramic artist, he asked me whether I used my art for God. I admitted I didn't, so he promptly entered me into the current YFC talent quest. How could I stand up in front of a crowd and draw? No problem, he said. "Just find a preacher and draw what he's speaking about." Hah, easy for him to say.

However, a young married man from our church stepped up, and amazingly, we won. The prize was to join the team as they ministered in various churches and youth groups. This became a wonderful way to use our gifts in the Lord's service. It also meant we saw a lot of each other, and in turn that led to us becoming duetists. Wanting more, we decided to keep our hearts singing in harmony by marrying each other.

Soon after our marriage, we entered Emmaus Bible College to prepare ourselves for whatever the Lord would have us do. A little later, an American evangelist held meetings in Australia and he challenged us to join him as his musical team. We spent five wonderful years traveling with him along with our preschool son. When he returned to the US, the Lord opened the way for us to step out in faith and many invitations came in.

Radio opportunities began and nowadays, we script and co-present on COMMUNICATION, a program heard throughout Australia on over four hundred FM stations and on Missionary Radio, HCJB.During all this time the Lord has drawn us closer to each other. Has the romance faded? A thousand times no!

If a person commits their way to the Lord, He will guide their steps. And especially the big step of choosing a life partner. Even after these past fifty years, we love each other more than words can express and we still have the great joy of continuing in the Lord's service.