A young 19 year old girl while serving in the Women’s Royal Air Force in England and based at R.A.F. Hereford, which was the School of Catering for the Royal Air Force, met her destiny. With a base of 7000 men and only 200 women she was never shy of a date but as yet had not met her Mr. Right. Every 6 weeks there would be a new class of potential chefs brought in for training. At a fall dance on the base she won a twisting contest and met one of those trainees who not only won the same contest for the guys but also won her heart. From that night they saw each other most evenings for the next few weeks until his training was over and he had to return to his base on the other side of England.
This is where our story takes a turn as she waits to meet her Knight in Shining Armor at the canteen on the base to say goodbye as he is leaving Hereford the next day. Much to her embarrassment he doesn’t show and stands her up for all their friends to see.They try to console her but her anger overcomes her hurt.
The next morning at breakfast she had to sit in a different dining room as she was permanent staff and he had to sit in the trainee’s dining room. He sees her as she gets up to leave but doesn’t have the courage to face the tearful hurt in her eyes. He lets her walk away to a life without him as he boards the bus to take him hundreds of miles away.
But as Providence would have it, it was Valentine weekend, and to her chagrin she had already mailed him a Valentine card which of course she could not retrieve. When he receives her card back at his base he decides to take the risk to write and try to explain. His excuse for standing her up was that he didn’t want to have to say goodbye. Now who would ever buy that reasoning? Well she did and they have been married now for fifty years!
That Valentine day was 51 years ago and John and I are still thanking God every February 14th. for His providence in our lives through the card that saved the day and our destiny in each other’s lives.
Psalm 78:41 Don’t limit the Holy One of Israel
CHALLENGE: Never underestimate the Providence of God in your life!
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