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So, I stopped in at Hank’s place, and since I had gotten there first, I picked the best spot in the house, right by the fireplace. The fire was bright and cheery. The perfect spot. I sat for a while, and after quiet a while, I was still alone. They must be running late, so I ordered a big plate of ribs, and they’d catch up when they arrived. I eat slowly anyway, so this seemed ok. More time passed, and I started getting uncomfortable about being alone, at a big table, the best seat in the house, as groups of guests came in, glaring at me and my ribs, alone at a banquet table, as they squeezed into a booth.
It never, once, dawned on me, at any time, as the night wore on, that I may have come to the wrong restaurant. I was busy thinking about how blessed I was, how much God had blessed me with Carol and our life together. And, thinking about how God had brought us together, for both of our futures. Only a few days before, Carol had accepted Jesus as her Savior, giving her life over to Him. It had happened at home, just me and her, and it happened right in the center of our kitchen. Even though we have moved, I can still see the exact location on the floor, see us holding hands, praying together, Carol asking Jesus to forgive her, thanking Him for giving His life for her, for helping and healing her, then thanking Him for His forgiveness, accepting Jesus, right there, as her Lord and Savior.
Only a few months before, I had proposed to Carol, just before she flew back home to Connecticut, in the center of my kitchen, back in Georgia.
I thought about how God had changed everything in our lives. How big a change in Carol’s life Jesus had already made. To this day, Carol continues to be the most influential Christian influence in my life.
But, that night, everything was still new, and I just basked in God’s love, as I sat, alone, by the roaring fire. I thought about how it happened; how awesome God was, and so proud to have played a part in leading Carol to salvation. We had made a promise to each other that we would read the Bible, together, every night, before going to sleep. It just made sense to start at the beginning, as Carol had never really read the Bible before, so we started reading in Genesis. I would read a little, and then she would read a little. She would ask me questions along the way. Genesis can be a tough book for seasoned Christians to understand, and, right from Adam and Eve, she had plenty of questions. The poem is really self-explanatory as to what happened next. It only took 14 chapters for Carol to realize what she had to do. Someone, a dear Christian, asked Carol, years later, what she was currently reading. She responded, “The Old Testament.” Their response was, “Why are you reading that?” The answer to why the Old Testament is so important is included in the poem.
By sharing this, I am also sharing the fact that Carol wasn’t a Christian when we married. She was, and still is, the most genuinely nice person I have ever met. But, that doesn’t get you into Heaven. It is only through the Way, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only way to the Father, that your salvation is secured, and assured. I know, this raises the question of “being unequally yoked.” Carol and I met through mutual friends in Georgia, Ed and Lucille. Ed, one of the finest Christian men I have ever known, asked me this question, after Carol and I started planning our wedding. Was it right to marry Carol, a non-believer, with me being a believer? I can only answer this by telling you my situation and circumstances. With Carol, I just knew. I knew it was the right thing to do, and that it was God’s will and plan. I just knew. I proposed to Carol, only three days after I first met her. I had a great job, traveled all over, had a company vehicle, expense account, the works. And, I was working with good friends. I gave all this up, to sell most of my possessions, and move over 1,000 miles away. To a state I had never set foot in.
I just knew it was the right thing to do. I never doubted. I can’t stress enough how important it is how you face difficult situations; especially tragic circumstances. The world, yes those you have witnessed to, and other Christians, will all be watching how you handle a bad situation. Not a single person, who really knew me, doubted that it was the right thing to do. Not a one. Why? Because they had seen me go through the worst possible situation, and saw how I handled it. Granted, it wasn’t me, but God working through me, which “did it.” But, understand, it was how my actions witnessed to them, that they based their opinion on. I did seek Godly council. One Pastor, who did not know me, offered derogatory remarks about the North and the people there. Another Pastor, who did know me, in fact, worked with me, quoted Philippians 1:12, where Paul wrote that all the bad things had happened to him, “for the furtherance of the gospel.” One man knew me; the other didn’t.
One of the most blessed compliments I have ever received was when we called my friend Ed, back in Georgia, to let him know that Carol had just given her heart to the Lord, had accepted Christ. I’ll never forget his response: “Well, I knew it wouldn’t be long.”
It was a little over a month.
Oh … back to the restaurant … I was thinking about all this, how so much had happened in such a short time. We even had a great church home with a wonderful Pastor and wife. Then, God gave me this great idea for a poem, to praise Him, to thank Him for Carol’s salvation, and all He had done. The words burned inside me. Of course, I was busy eating, and I didn’t have any paper. I didn’t dare bother the waitress. I had been trouble enough tying up the best table in the place, alone. I wasn’t about to ask for anything else.
I did have a pen in my shirt pocket, but no paper. What to use? The only thing available was a napkin. Since I was eating ribs, and more guests had been expected at my table, there were lots of napkins. I started writing on a napkin, but that didn’t work. Maybe napkins only work for business plans? Anyway, what now? I had to make a van run. I hurriedly darted outside, but, of course, no paper in the van. This was before I made sure to always have a memo pad in the van. The only paper of any kind I had was in the trash bag. The grocery list from last week. Yes! This might work! I quickly hurried back in, anxious to get this written. Ignoring the stares as I sat back down, I went to work. On the left side of the paper were the grocery items, with a line marked through. This gave me the right side to write. On the back of the list, left side, my figures were written, as I added up the grocery total, item by item. This gave me the right side of the paper. So there, at Hank’s, alone, on the grocery list I had dug out of the trash from the van, I wrote, “The Sweetest Sound I’ve Ever Heard …The sound of my wife reading God’s Word.” Now, years later, I am looking at that grocery list, marveling at the prices …
And continuing to marvel at the grace God continues to show toward myself, and Carol.
Oh, by the way, who would have known that a town so small would have TWO restaurants with the owner’s first names? As I proudly left Hank’s, poem in hand, full of ribs and thinking how proud Carol would be of me … I drove through downtown, where I passed George’s on the left … where Carol and her mom had enjoyed a fine dinner, even though frantic over where I was …
THE SWEETEST SOUND I’VE EVER HEARD
We’ve traveled far
We’ve traveled wide
And always, you were by my side
Every concert, symphony, every band
Sounds so sweet as if from God’s own hand
I’ve heard the ocean’s surf
A baby’s cries after birth
Seen the bluest skies up above
Felt the deepest kind of love
Heard every kind of music
Seen every kind of show
But, the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard
I heard not so long ago
When we were first married
We chose to read from the Bible every day
And I prayed that God’s Word would take hold
Somewhere along the way
But where to start? At what book to begin?
She wanted to learn it all
From the beginning until the end
I waited with hope as each night’s reading would arrive
I secretly prayed for me to get out of the way
And let God’s Word come alive
It was then that I would hear the most beautiful sound
To ever penetrate my ear
The Bible was opened; pages were searched up and down
Then my heart would leap … and I would hear that sound
The most beautiful sound my soul had ever heard
Yes, the sound …
The sound of my wife reading God’s Word
She would look up from the Scriptures when a question was raised
She had so many questions-I would say to myself, “God be praised!”
How powerful, you ask, is God’s Holy Word?
Can it really unlock your chains and make you as free as a bird?
Well, I can only report what I’ve seen and heard:
The result of what happened when my wife read God’s Word
She started reading at creation, and never got bored
By the time we got to Genesis 14, she had given her heart to the Lord
You see, Jesus would burst forth from the pages
Old Testament, or New, He’s still the Rock of Ages
So, for all the world’s noise
I give it not a look
What sets my soul afire is her-
Reading from that Book
Yes, the sweetest sound that I’ve ever heard
Is the sound of my wife’s voice … reading God’s Word
Richard.Vincent.Rose.
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