Second Chance

One morning in March of 1981 the phone rang and it was my brother- in-law from SC whom I had never met. My Dad and sister were simultaneously flying into Sumter to visit and he wanted me to come and surprise them. Before he hung up he laughed and said, “I have a friend I want you to meet, who knows, he might be your future husband" to which I paid no attention.

I was hesitant about accepting his invitation but just minutes after I hung up, two of my prayer partners called. After telling the first of my strange invitation, she felt I was suppose to go and God was going to do something miraculous. The second call confirmed the first. So I called him back and made arrangements.

The morning after we all arrived, my brother-in-law announced that his friend was coming for coffee. I was a wreck with only three hours of sleep. I whipped into the bathroom trying to bend my hair into some kind of do. John arrived for coffee then Dad and Woody joined him in the kitchen. I could hear them all laughing and carrying on. On my sisters’ way to the kitchen, I jerked her in as she passed and asked her check out our visitor and report back. I waited; she forgot and joined in on the laughter.

I had no choice but to come out. As I walked through the kitchen toward the dinning area, my eyes met John's and deep down inside me I seemed to hear, "This is the man you are going to marry". Well, it about jolted my socks off, but I joined them and sat next to John. He stayed for breakfast, lunch and supper.

Now I had been careful not to reveal my secret to anyone. Woody called John the next morning and asked him over. After a short visit John invited me to run some errands with him. During the course of the day he drove me to Poinsettia Park located back in the Woods. We strolled down to the pond and he laid his jacket on the sand for me to set on. Just as we both got comfortable he said, " Teri, I have been praying for a wife for a year and a half and I believe the Lord has sent you to me ". I don't know why I had a hard believing the Lord had told him too. Then turned his back to me and waited for a response. I said, " If you really believe that, kiss me and lets see how that goes". When we got up from that beach we began making plans to marry.

Dad and I flew home to Texas and John came out a couple days later. We were married at my home with friends and family ten days after we first laid eyes on one another. Having the confidence that the Lord put us together we just celebrated our 29th anniversary.