Love at First Sight......TESTIMONY continued!

MY BRIDE



There are many proverbs that extol the virtue and value of a good wife...



Prov.18:22

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord."


Prov.31:10-11...& verse 28

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil."

"Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her."



It is truly a shame that it has taken so many years for me to realize how much I love and cherish my wife.

Even though, when we met, it was truly love at first sight. At least for me it was. I don't know personally too many people that would honestly say that after 31 years of marriage that every day and every year was pure bliss and happiness. "Pure Perfection"

We both made plenty of mistakes, and caused each other a fair amount of pain because of some poor choices that we made over the years.

We were so young at age 18 when we wed, and so foolish, that it has only been the "Providential Hand of God" upon our lives, that we are still together as man and wife today.

Those that know us best, know all too well, the pain that we have caused each other over the years...But they also know, that it has been our love for each other, and certainly the love of God that has enabled us to stick it out...Just like we promised each other, "For Better or For Worse," in those traditional Marriage vows, we made to each other on April 16, 1977, almost 31 years ago.



TESTIMONY CONTINUED



Several months after Nate committed suicide, and shortly after breaking up with a young lady that I thought was the Love of my life...Her name was Sue.

As it turned out, the popular 60's song was right.

"Don't mess around" with "RUN AROUND SUE." She broke my young heart.

I dropped out of the 10th grade and took a Job at Walgreens.

They had a small restaurant, with the old fashioned soda fountain, and Ice Cream counter, just off the side of the drug store.

I started out as a Dishwasher for $2.00 an Hr. and then moved up to Bus Boy with a 25 cent Raise, $2.25 an Hr.



It was a beautiful spring day in May of 1975, when I was struck by that lightning That the Anthony Hopkins character, in "Meet Joe Black" was talking about, in that conversation he had with his daughter,... in regards to being in love.

You will really have to watch the movie in order to fully grasp what I'm getting at. That is,... being struck by "The Lightning". To be literally Swept off your feet.

To Dance like a Dervish... That Kind of Love.



Beth Edmonds walked into Walgreens that day, with a whole gang of girls from the Rival High School in town. I had gone to Central High, and She was attending Loy Norrix across town.

Anyways, she walked into where I worked, and walked into my life. Her, and her buddies were ditching class ,and came in for lunch.

Now I don't know for sure if ,it were her cute face, that made me take notice, or the Black Halter Top with resulting cleavage, and Tight Blue Jeans she was wearing, that got my attention the most,... and caused her to stand out amongst all the other girls she came in with.....But I fell hard! It was spring time, And I believe that, Friend Owl,
In the Disney Cartoon Classic... "BAMBI"... HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, WHEN HE CALLED IT BEING,..." TWITTERPATED."

I was Twitterpated Through and Through!

I do know now, for sure, That it was God, that providentially brought us together.

And that... which God brings together, No one can put asunder!

Two short days after we met on May 21 1975 I walked my Bride to be, into the jewelry store next door to where I worked, and put her engagement ring and wedding band on lay away. It wasn't much as far as size and value goes... I think I paid $125.00 for them, and she still wears those rings with pride today.

In the next 2 years, I learned what it meant to belong to a loving family once again, after Mom & Dad Edmonds got over the shock of their daughter bringing home every Parents worst nightmare.

Trust me, when I tell you, her parents tried many times to talk her into looking for someone else to spend her life with.

Many years later, Beth told me that her Dad tried to bribe her, with the promise of buying her a new car, if she would only get rid of me.

I would never have guessed they felt that way, nor do I blame them, because I certainly led her down many a wrong road Before I gave my Life to Christ 5 years later, at the age of 21.

Mom and Dad Edmonds Modeled unconditional love towards me, and treated me like their own son. They took me on family vacations with them, Family reunions, Family Christmas Parties, and for awhile, even opened their home, and gave me a place to live at different times, when I was between jobs, or lost my apartment.

I moved out of my Parents home when I was 16, because they would try and punish me, and control me, by forbidding me from seeing, or spending time with Beth.

My Step Father was an extremely jealous man, and I had long ago lost all respect for his authority. That's what often happens to kids that are brought up in a home where you are told not to cuss, lie, steal, don't do drugs or drink or a million other things that you can think of ,...that Parents should teach their children.

But needless to say....That old philosophy of,... "DO AS I SAY AND NOT AS I DO..." Only breeds anger, and confusion, in the mind, and heart of a child that is raised in such a corrupt environment.

The only result, or fruit, that will come from that lifestyle, is Rebellion. And I had that in Spades.

This has caused me trouble all my life, because I have viewed all authority as being unreasonable. I prided myself as being a Rebel with a cause...And that cause was... I would never ever let any one tell me what to do.

I'm sure their are many of us from the baby boomer generation, as well as many children today, that act out because of the level of hypocrisy that we've been exposed to all of our formative years and beyond.

March 26, 2008.........2:45PM

"MORE OF THE REST OF THE STORY"

(a few more chapters anyways)

Mom and Pops Edmonds

May God rest their Souls

Shirley Marie Edmonds (Sills) March 12, 1926 - August 12, 1996...70yrs. & 5 months to the Day. Devoted Career Housewife - Loving Mother, Grandma, & The Greatest Mother-In-Law That Ever Lived.

Clyde Enos Edmonds February 13, 1911 - March 6, 2001...90yrs. & 21 Days. A WW II Combat Medic. Decorated War Hero - Loving Husband to Shirley...................... & Father Extraordinaire.

Shirley and Clyde Edmonds....Mom and Dad....Beth's Parents were two of the finest people that I have ever known. They left this Planet too soon for my liking and they are sorely Missed.

Their is one consolation though; They will live forever in the hearts of those who had the awesome privilege of knowing them and loving them.

Blessed are those that were loved by them!

I'm sure they were absolutely mortified when Beth brought me home to meet them for the first time. I was just a skinny, scrawny, long frizzy haired Hippie Freak, with a scary looking grin...My top two front teeth had been badly chipped in several School yard fights. Those fights were almost a daily occurrence in the neighborhood I grew up in. My hood was on the poor white trash section of the East Side of Kalamazoo... It was a very rough & scary place to grow up in,...But strangely enough...I was proud to be an East Sider.

That all changed though, after I met the love of my life...I left My father (stepfather) and Mother, Sister and Brother...Even my country (Turf) behind, and spent most of my Days on the South Side of town in the Hays Park neighborhood, where the Edmonds had raised their family.

My family had moved around so much all of our lives, that I was totally amazed by the fact that Beth lived in the house where she was born,... with both of her Natural Parents. It was a small and Modest House That Mom Edmond's first Husband, Minor, had built for them.

Mom Edmonds first Husband was, Minor Harrell...He left her a widow when he died of a massive Heart attack at age 28. They had 2 children together. Beth's half brother and half sister, Alan and Susan. God Rest Their Souls. They Both died at an early age Al was 52, and Sue was 54 when they Passed away. That is another story for another time...

Beth was basically raised almost like an only child Because both her parents were well on In years when she was born.

The saddest thing about these facts is....That Just about every one of Beth Edmond's living relatives are dead and gone as of this writing and that has been true for a number of years.

The Happy part of this is just about everyone of Beth Bowling's Family is alive and well these days.

Lest I wander off and confuse my readers by chasing too many rabbits in the Re-Telling of this story...let me return to the time shortly after my bride to be took me home to meet her folks......

Remember that young Rag a muffin that looked like something that the Cat drug in to the Edmonds Home??? Beth's Boyfriend, ...Michael D. Bowling....That Twitterpated young Hippie that was starved for real love and the safety and security of a stable family environment.

That same scared little boy who thought he Was a Man, That same one that claimed it was Love at first sight who was probably more in Lust than He was in Love.

After all I didn't have a clue what real Love was...And I was at that strange age when my Hormones were raging wildly out of control. No one had ever taught me anything about Chastity, and the need for Sexual purity. Nor was I aware of the value of being a Virgin on your wedding night.

What a "Rip Off" Satan Has gotten away in our modern western culture... What a Robbery he has perpetrated on our children... The Devil's greatest legacy is found in the deafening Mantra of our time..."SEX...SEX....SEX....SEX...SEX!!!!" WE ARE ADDICTED TO SEX! PRE-MARITAL...EXTRA-MARITAL...NEVER-MARITAL SEX...ANY AND EVERY KIND OF NON-GODLY...UN-GODLY SEX!!!

If only I had never Known My Bride Prior to our Honeymoon...Their was nothing different or special that took place on that night.

Instead I found myself in that all too familiar state of Drunkenness...So stoned and incapacitated that I barely have any memory of it, and barely was able to perform.

I'm Certain that it was not the kind of "Romantic"..."Memorable"..." Wedding Night " that every young lady hopes for, and dreams about all of their lives.

Another Godly Glorious memorable moment, and special experience... a wonderful, Perfect Holy Gift From God Stolen through the lies and deception of the immortal enemy of our souls.

OH HOW MY HEART ACHES AT THIS VERY MOMENT OVER THE HORRID REALIZATION,...OF HOW AWFUL... IT TRULY IS, TO HAVE TAKEN SO LIGHTLY,... WHAT MUST BE ONE OF GOD'S MOST PRECIOUS, SPECIAL GIFTS,... EVER CONCEIVED, FOR THE "HUMAN EXPERIENCE"......

Satan really robbed us on that one....but of course....that is what he does...

"Our adversary, the devil, is roaming up and down, to and fro, within the Earth."

"Seeking those, he may devour"

I must apologize to my readers at this point for what must be a maddening and frustrating tease in progressing so slowly with the promised story at hand.

The fact of the matter is, that I am writing extemporaneously from memory, and every time I begin to explore these past memories there are layers and layers of truths, and life lessons, that need to be extracted, developed , and discovered...

I am in awe, realizing, how many times our Heavenly Father was so lovingly, and gently and yes, sometimes even harshly, trying to get us to see the right path,... for us to choose... when life brings us to those crossroads, time after time...All throughout our entire lives.

From the cradle to the grave,

Our Father, Who Art in Heaven, and Hallowed is His Name,...He is running towards his Prodigal Children, with outstretched, crucified, nail pierced hands, wounded for our transgressions...

All of creation is filled with His Glory!.....Creation itself,....Screams of His Existence, and declares His Love to us,... It is shouted from the mountain tops....He is revealed in the lightning bolts... He is the Light of the World... He grabs our attention, in the frightening explosions of Thunder.

His power, and awesome majesty,......fills the entire universe,.... It is a worthwhile exercise to look for Him... To hear Him, when He speaks to us... through the foolish things of this world.

And oh, what a foolish thing it was, when He called a reprobate like me, and chooses to reveal himself through this hugely flawed vessel.

TO BE CONTINUED Beloved

MICHAEL