Looking Back (standard:Inspirational stories, 3806 words)
Author: Ester	Added: Mar 24 2003	Views/Reads: 3511/2371	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
On her first anniversary, a young lady looks back at how it all began.

LOOKING  BACK By Ester 

“David and Bonnie have been married one year today.”  As the pastor made
the announcement, my mind began to look back.  It was really hard to 
imagine that a whole year had gone by.  It seemed like yesterday that I 
had walked down the isle in a beautiful gown at our modernly old 
fashioned church to marry the man of my dreams. 

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

David was three years older.  For one year, as a freshman, I saw him
every day at high school.  He was a senior, quarterback of the football 
team, a serious student, a little better-than-average in looks, and 
friendly to everyone.  Most seniors would never condescend to speak 
with anyone below junior status, but not David.  He was kind, 
considerate and social with everyone. 

I wondered what made him different from most seniors; well, from most
people in general.    Just before Christmas, Janie and I were looking 
at a poster announcing a Christmas play at the local community center.  
David stopped and encouraged us to come, that we would really enjoy it. 
 He didn't mention that he had a leading part and that it was actually 
a production by his church youth group.  They didn't have a stage, so 
they used the community center.  The Senior Players of the community 
became their ‘crowd' and ‘extras' and thus it became a true community 
play.  Everyone was thrilled with the joint venture.  That's how he was 
able to get the poster put up on a school bulletin board.  Would we 
decline to go to a community event sanctioned by one of the popular 
guys, I don't think so!  In fact, almost half the school showed up at 
one of the three performances.  Being a church group and a Christmas 
theme, it was also religious.  The secular side of the holiday was 
hardly mentioned!  Did that make it dull?  Not at all.  It did, 
however, give some insight to the deeper side of my heart throb.  It 
also left me with a few serious thoughts about God. 

The year passed and I had to face the fact that ‘my guy' would not be
around any more after graduation.  I decided that I would have to 
concentrate on my studies since no one else would even come close to 
his standard.  It never occurred to me that because he was a Christian 
(which later I understood was why he was so different inside), he could 
not seriously consider being closer than friends with a very lost girl, 
much less one three years younger.  At that age three years is almost a 
life time and I would not have understood why his being a Christian and 
me not would matter so much. 

My sophomore year rolled around and I developed a close group of
friends.  We wanted to try out and experience things.  We had no idea 
that we were playing with fire and could be burned; we just wanted to 
have ‘fun' like everyone else.  I decided to get a job as Christmas 
help at a local department store.  Imagine my surprise, and thrill, to 
find out that David also worked there in the sports/tools departments 
as permanent part-time while going to the local junior college.  After 
two years there he would transfer to a four-year college elsewhere.  
For now, though, I was back in touch with David.  I was a good worker, 
but I put in some extra effort because of him.  Due to my good work, I 
was asked to stay on after Christmas.  Of course, I said yes.  I didn't 
see David a lot, but we spoke and said ‘hello' several times a week.  A 
couple times a year the store had a week of employee meetings about, 
work ethics, drug use, personal habits, etc.  It was always the same, 
basic common sense stuff to me, but I knew other employees who had not 
had good habits and character traits drilled into them by parents who 
needed these classes.  David and I ended up in the same group for this 
series of classes.  We talked a number of times and really got to know 
each other better.  The first time we talked long, he asked me where I 
went to church.  In my mind it was an odd question.   I went because it 
was the right thing to do for all good families.  He seemed to really 
love his church and the people there.  Strange!  Toward the end of the 
week he told me about a youth night his church was having and invited 
me and my friends to come.  It wasn't a date, but I chose to take it as 
a personal invitation.  I insisted that my ‘clan' come with me.  We 
were pleasantly surprised at the great music we heard before entering 
the gym.  Their church had just finished it as a multi=purpose 
building.  There was a live band and singers on stage!  Looking closer, 
I recognized a couple of other guys from school in the group and 
several more fellow students in the crowd.  Refreshments were aplenty 


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