Now that Homer had told me he wanted to marry me in three months, what would happen next?
Yes, I sent him home. Pray for me was what I asked my friends and prayer warriors to do. What are we praying for? I’m not going to tell you! Just pray!
Three days later Homer came back to my home for dinner. He brought his checkbook and said that as a single mom I could use some help. Whether I said yes to him or not, he would write a check for each of my bills. How do you turn down that kind of man?! I told him he met all the requirements on my “list” of thirteen things I wanted in a godly man if God saw fit to give me one again. BUT my love for him was more like a “father-daughter.” He had been a friend of my Father. He was much older than me, twenty-eight years to be exact! I sent him home again.
Three days later I woke up like a “giddy teenager” in love. I knew I was about to get married. WOW! I had a picture in my mind of a young man mowing his yard in his cute shorts—it was Homer. Only God in His Faithfulness could have created that love in my heart. God had not forgotten me. God was walking with me as a single mom, preparing me for a marriage I had no idea was coming my way. Only a faithful loving God can do that!
Three months? Well, having the busy social schedule I kept, finding an available date was not easy. We looked for something soon. Well, the first Saturday I had available was three months out! We’d get married at 11 AM in my church chapel.
Do you want a ring, he asked. Of course but you choose what you’d like to give me. Do you have an idea? Well, yes. I had pulled an advertisement from the newspaper six months before. I showed it to him. OOOO! That’s extravagant! Well, you asked. You choose. We went to lunch at the mall on Wednesday afternoon. We walked into the jewelry store and Homer had the picture in his pocket. Do you still have this ring? Let me check. The manager came out with our picture. The ring was on a stand all by itself. He took it out. I tried it on. It fit! OOOOO! God was still working! Yes, I would like Homer to have a ring, too. I wanted him to be marked—He was taken! He’s mine! Homer was use to paying cash. He didn’t have enough cash to pay for the ring. So he filled out an application for credit. (We found out later that they called our oldest daughter whom we had given as a reference. Her response was my Daddy doesn’t use credit. He pays cash for everything. Of course he is good for it.) We walked out with two rings.
We went to see my Mother and to tell her in person. She didn’t need to hear about this from anyone but us. As we entered her home, she said to Homer, "I’ve been praying for you." We went to the living room and Mother sat in “her chair.” She was a stately Southern women always welcoming to all who visited in her home. “Mother,” I said. “Homer has asked me to marry him,” I said as I showed her my ring, “and I’ve said yes.” She joyfully responded, “I’m so glad you’ve found each other!” Well, that was easy.
It was coming up on Thanksgiving weekend. My oldest son was in college. He came home for Thanksgiving. I told my youngest he could not tell Brandon about me and Homer getting married. I arrived home.
Brandon asked, “What is Benjamin jumping off the walls about that he can’t tell me?”
“I’m getting married.”
“WHAT! I’ve only been off to college three months! Who have you been dating? Who are you marrying?”
“Homer Rose.”
He asked, “Grandpa Homer?"
“Yes, Grandpa Homer has asked me to marry him and I said yes.”
“When did you start dating?”
“Well, we didn’t date. He just came and asked and I prayed and God said it was ok. God even put a husband-wife love in my heart for Homer Rose.”
It was settled! February 6, 1999 was on its way! It went fast in some ways! Homer spent most days moving several trailer—car loads from our four-bedroom apartment with seven large closets to his three-bedroom with four small closets home.
God had His plans for us. We just joined them.
He is always faithful. Join Him in your life as He is faithful to you! Watch with anticipation for His touches.
In His Faithfulness,
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