Having grown up (as some would have described me) as a Tomboy; I made it into my teens not too conscious of my looks or interested in make-up.
Then when I was 14 I met a boy!
And I didn't change.I met him at a youth meeting and decided he was the guy for me.
(There really is a bit more to it than that but that might be for a different story sometime).
I didn't go to the youth meeting all the time but we got to know each other a little as friends over the next 2 years. There were things I wanted to know more about from the Bible and he was the one I talked to.
Two years after we met there was a Summer Youth Camp for a week and I wanted to go.
My problem was the week before it I was going to be on a School trip to France arriving back into Belfast on the day the camp started in Bangor. The Pastor of the church which ran the youth group approached my parents and asked if it would be ok with them for him to meet me off the boat in Belfast and take me to the camp and they agreed. I was delighted and even though I had been promised for a few years that I could go on this trip in my 5th year at the grammer school I was now looking forward more to the camp than to the trip to France.
While on the school trip I found I had a little blister forming on my cheek but just thought it would be ok. By the time I arrived at the youth camp I was greeted with remarks about how I really should go to the chemist and get something for my face but it was Saturday evening and they weren't open. By the time it got to Monday morning the blister had spread up my cheek and was not very nice looking. Walking me along to the chemist were two of my girl friends and this guy I liked, but when I got there I just didn't want to go in. I dreaded the thought of anyone touching this cheek and even though they tried to persuade me several times I would not go.
It got bigger and bigger and when I think back now I can't believe anyone would have wanted to be near me at all as it could have looked as if I was contagious with something.
Towards the end of the week this blister thing was quite a sight to see and was rather ugly. I was not looking at myself all day so I didn't have to see the ugliness but others did.
Then there was the day that we all went to walk up Slieve Donard the highest mountain in the Mournes (I believe). There was a bunch of us who got lost and headed the wrong way but had a laugh anyway. I'm not sure that everyone else would have been too happy had there been any accidents; as I was carrying the First Aid Kit.
Well who was I sitting beside in the car on the way home?
You've guessed it, that guy I liked.
Well I sort of (cough, cough) fell asleep on the way home and whose shoulder was conveniently there for my head to slip down unto?
You've guessed it, that guy I liked.
All during that week I was in his company a lot but never alone, always with other friends. Then the last night of the camp we did get the chance to be on our own for a very short time during which he told me he loved me. Quick work for the quiet lad everyone thought he was.
When I arrived home my parents were startled to see the "thing" on my face.
The doctor was called immediately and he did a home visit.
Apparently I had caught a virus while sunbathing in France and it had caused my skin to develop several small blisters as it burnt and these then turned into a horrible scab. I was prescribed an ointment which was very effective and the scab seemed to dissolve and most of it just slid down off my face. My family were relieved that my face cleared up very quickly with no scars, while I was relieved that there was not as much pain as I had feared. This virus still lies dormant under my skin and flares up now and again.
When I would think back to that time and tell our kids the story of how daddy told mummy he loved her before they even went on a date together; the main thing in my mind would always be that this was our special story. But one thing that my sister had said to me all those years ago always made it more special to me in particular. She said
She told me that she couldn't understand how I came back from camp with a boyfriend when I looked the way I did.
Later when I asked Fred (the guy I liked) why he hadn't been put off by my ugly face, he just told me that he thought I was beautiful and that something on my face didn't change his mind.
So you see all these years I have been very happy and extremely thankful that Fred loved me when I was looking ghastly and I never would have thought I was beautiful. He wasn't attracted by my looks, he was attracted to me, the person I was.
Maybe I should explain that 4 years after this camp I married Fred and we have now been married for 36 years.
Even as the years have passed and I have not thought myself to be pretty, Fred has often told me that I am Beautiful. That has always helped me to feel special. This is just one of the reasons I still love my husband.
A lot of the attributes of God are hard for us to see, or to understand because we think as humans but He is God. When I experience the love Fred has for me and how he sees me it helps me to see how God can love me and see me as beautiful just the way I am even though I am far from perfect for which I can never cease to be thankful.
Do you know that God wants you to know that you are beautiful?
Do you know that God loves you?
What a sweet love story! And a beautiful way to reflect back to God's love for us. Blessings to you! Love, Rachael @ Inking the Heart (linking after you at Holley's)
ReplyDeleteHi Rachael, thank you. I'm enjoying linking at Holley's, her prompts are so matching in with the things I had planned to be putting into this series.
DeleteI love this! What a beautiful example of letting God pen our stories of love :) thank you for sharing this sweet testimony :) Blessings to you!
ReplyDelete~Ashley
Thank you Ashley for the encouragement
DeleteWhat a sweet story! A man of rare insight and wisdom -- definitely a keeper! As I am sure you know! (I am blessed to have one of those too!)
ReplyDeleteHi Charlene, true and I'm so glad you have one too, we need to appreciate the good ones. How's it going with you via the tribe? One of them didn't have a site and some others had no buttons for twitter or pinterest so I don't think I did too well at connecting.
DeleteAww, I enjoyed reading that Mum :)
ReplyDeleteEven though you have heard it before
DeleteHehe, yep - but still enjoyed reading it.
DeleteGood, I hope this means you are a romantic.
DeleteWhat a special story! Love that lasts -- we don't often see it, do we?
ReplyDeleteYes Pamela, we are very blessed.
DeleteOh my. I read this over the weekend and I thought I commented but now that I think of it, I believe I was cut short as they called to board our plane. :)))
ReplyDeleteBut I'm glad I had the chance to read this lovely story again. This was a delight. Thank you so much for sharing with TWW.
Blessings,
Beth
Thank you Beth for making the extra effort to comment and encourage me.
DeleteAww, this sweet story brings tears to my eyes. May you enjoy another 36 wonderful years together and more!
ReplyDeleteStopping by from the Tuesdays with a Twist blog hop.
Suzanne
www.timessquared.net/blog.html
Thank you Suzanne, that is so sweet of you.
DeleteOh I love that you married him!! It was destiny! Thanks for linking up to Thoughtful Thursday!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, me too he has made me a very happy contented woman
DeleteThanks for sharing at the Weekend Blog Block Party! Stop by Friday to see if you were featured. I love your encouraging posts!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words Krystal, just added you to my circles and I believe I started following you on twitter recently.
DeleteSandra, I love a good love story! What a legacy you and Fred have! It does fill me with confidence to know that my husband and my God think I am beautiful. I think that being loved well make beauty flourish. Don't you?
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up at Thought-Provoking Thursday! :)
Yes Lyli it does us good to know we are loved.
ReplyDeleteAwwww... What a wonderful testimony of deep, true love! Thank you so much for sharing, Sandra. Totally just made my day! And thanks for your participation in the #EverydayJesus link up. God bless.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharita, Thank you for your kind words. I'm enjoying the link up each week now, I'm glad I found it.
DeleteSuch a sweet story :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing at Essential Fridays.
Blessings
Mel from Essential Thing Devotions
Thanks for the encouragement Mel.
DeleteWhat a beautiful love story. Proves that it is best to meet your future husband when you're not looking your best. Then you know he really cares for your heart.
ReplyDeleteHi again Laura, just realised I was on your blog the other day having a little look around and quite interested in some of your insights during your walk with the Lord, impressed to hear this coming from someone on the walk for only a short time so you have definitely been listening to Him. Come back again and we can encourage each other.
DeleteThank you for this nice blog! Great love story. I'm sitting here with goosebumps and tears. Yes, so is our God. Your Fred looked like at Him.
ReplyDeleteIts still hard for me to say: I am beautiful but I know: Jesus loves me.
Hi again Jedidja, keep saying it, because it is true all true. Thanks for coming back and lets keep on encouraging each other.
DeleteThank you for sharing your beautiful story with us here at "Tell Me a Story." It matters that to our husband we are beautiful and it helps when he tells us so. My hubby tells me I always look beautiful to him! I tell him he is still my handsome man!
ReplyDeleteHi again Hazel, Thank you for the encouragement. I'm glad you still have a handsome man, and isn't it just right that we complement and love our men too.
DeleteWhat a cute story! I found your blog on farm blogs linky party....So glad I was able to read your story!
ReplyDeleteI also blog about our travels. Feel free to stop by and take a look :)
http://karanandmichael.blogspot.com/2013/07/why-we-love-cruising.html
Such a fun story! Congratulations on 40 years! Hopping over from the Monday Musings Link-up Party :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats - thanks for sharing and linking up with us at the #WWDParty!
ReplyDeleteWhat a precious story! Thanks for sharing it over at Testimony Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful story and so filled with love ~ sorry that you had to catch a virus ~ but such a treasured ending to your story ~ Great post for F ~ thanks, ^_^
ReplyDeleteartmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)
I love romantic stories! Especially when God is the Source.
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful love story! Bless you for 40 years!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. What a sweet story!
ReplyDeleteBlessing to you. Thanks for sharing.
Such a lovely story of young love that is still growing all these years later!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous story. I love that it wasn't about the face and it was about the heart!
ReplyDeleteYou have such a lovely one, how could he be anything but enchanted?
Thanks for a fabulous link for the letter F.
A+
I completely love this story.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do have a hard time believing that God finds me beautiful though I do know (and am grateful!) that He loves me.
I love this story! A beauty of the human spirit moment.
ReplyDelete