There are three basic answers to prayer…so they say…Yes, no and wait.
Since God isn’t One to be hemmed in by our parameters He likes to sneak in an exception once in a while.
I think I received one this week…not this one. I suppose that could be interpreted as a no, but not really.
Okay, enough of the riddle. Let me explain.
Last week I hinted that there’s a woman in my adult fellowship who caught my eye so I’ve been working up the courage to ask her out. God did me one better.
As I was running in Archgate Park on Saturday I noticed a woman walking on the road as I ran near the sidewalk. Her hair was pulled back and she wore sunglasses so I didn’t recognize her at all.
Just as I passed her I heard my name called out. Being the astute gentleman that I am I stopped so as not to come across rude and uncaring.
There we were. We had the entire park to ourselves because sane people were inside their air conditioned homes on a July afternoon in Texas.
I take my running seriously, but not too seriously. I don’t train for a marathon. I run to keep my heart healthy. That means I stop to pick up trash, look at critters and beautiful plantscapes and to walk with a beautiful woman occasionally.
She used to run marathons. That’s why her knees are too worn out to run now, so she walks Archgate Park which is next to her apartment complex. My apartment complex is a Texas block away from the same park…maybe half a mile.
Through online research, no not stalking, I knew she lived in that complex and wondered if we’d ever be in the park at the same time. It actually happened. The only two insane people in Plano walked side by side for almost half an hour.
She asked about the Kairos prison ministry. I asked about her mom because of some prayer requests that have surfaced in class. We talked some about fairly personal matters, nothing too deep.
Before that encounter I was praying for guidance because there’s actually a second woman who shows up in our adult fellowship who also caught my eye. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been cross-eyed lately.
I’m not quite sure what I was looking for that July afternoon. I did catch my breath from running as we walked. So, I guess she didn’t take my breath away. I didn’t sense a tingle of excitement or spark of something special, just a good friendship taking root.
That’s not to say a friendship isn’t a good place for a romance to begin, but I sensed an answer to my prayer…not this one.
The barriers have been removed now. Perhaps we’ll walk again someday. Only God knows what the future holds. I’m patient.
The other woman and I have been introduced. I feel more comfortable with her so far. I didn’t see her this week. When I do I hope to be in a position to ask her to lunch. Again, only God knows the future.
I caught her looking at me once so I looked back. We didn’t look away until we had to. I wouldn’t qualify that as love at first sight because we were previously introduced. There’s apparently a mutual attraction.
This is where I ask for prayers for guidance, wisdom and possible boldness if that’s God’s will…gulp.
I didn’t expect to be in a position of feeling like a teenager in my mid fifties, but here I am.
I wonder if Boaz felt this way with Ruth? Now I’m grasping to find a biblical application for y’all to take away from my confession of being lost for a love life. I guess you’re on your own in that respect.
I’ll see you later. Wade
