Love Blooms in Unexpected Ways
Sometimes love finds us in unexpected places, and we have no clue that God orchestrated the entire plan. I wonder if He smiles when He looks down on us? For God says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 ESV
This week I have a very special guest author. My friend Eva Marie. She has accomplished more than I can imagine in one lifetime. Please read her bio below. For all of her fame, she’s so humble. If you search for Eva Marie Everson books, you’ll find a long list. This week, I’m offering a drawing for one of her books, Dust. You’ll love it. To enter, make a comment in the comment section and your name will be included. I’ll announce the winner next week. Please enjoy Eva’s story of how she met her hubby:
The Man I Would Marry, Eva Marie Everson
I became a nurse when you could swing a bat and hit about a hundred at once, so we weren’t paid a lot. For a while this was fine, but then I found myself living on my own, struggling to make it alone. I took a part-time job at the Dougherty County Police Department in Albany, Georgia, working in Investigations. My boss had a friend, a businessman, who came by one afternoon so the two men could go to lunch. He noticed me working at my desk and asked if I wanted a job. What he offered me financially to work at his company was much more than I could make nursing and working part-time, so I took it. Day One, I met a young man who managed the receiving department of this ginormous shipping and receiving company. Over the course of the next year, whenever my work went to him or his to me, we’d chat a bit. But I never really thought of him as anything other than a co-worker . . .
until one day . . .
I had to take the day off because I’d had outpatient surgery. He called to check on me then offered to bring something to eat (because my roommate had to work late that day–she cooked, I cleaned). After that, we started hanging out but never really dated (we went to Sunday school parties and antiquing). Suddenly, I couldn’t remember him not being in my life. It seemed to me that our being together was the most natural thing in the world.
He never said, "Will you marry me?"
But we both knew when the time was right about a year later. I called my pastor and asked if he could marry us privately. A week later, he did so in his living room. His wife served cookies and punch (so sweet!). That was 43 years ago, and here we are, an older married couple who still adore each other, our children, their spouses, and our better-than-the-best grandchildren. It hasn’t always been easy, but he is still the one who makes me laugh, the face I look for in a crowd.
(Notice the writing on the right side of the picture. One of their friends wrote that about Eva Marie).
Bio: Eva Marie Everson is the bestselling, multiple award-winning author of both fiction & nonfiction. She is the president of Word Weavers International and a frequent speaker at writer’s conferences and women’s groups. She and her husband make their home in Central Florida.
DUST: Can an ordinary life leave an extraordinary legacy? In 1977, when nineteen-year-old Allison Middleton receives a proposal of marriage from Westley Houser, she eagerly accepts, having no idea the secret Westley carries—a secret that will change Allison’s life forever. But Allison rises to the challenge of raising Westley’s toddling daughter as though she were her own. Throughout their lifetime together, Allison, Westley, and Michelle form a strong family bond. As Allison struggles with infertility and finding her way during a time of great change for women, others—some she knows and others whom she never meets—brush and weave against the fabric of her life, leaving her with more questions than answers. From teen bride to grandmother, Allison’s life chronicles the ups and downs of an ordinary woman’s life to examine the value of what we all leave behind.
