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If I didn't see him or his truck when I passed through town on my way home from work, I panicked. I couldn't concentrate on the homework I needed to grade, because I was listening for the phone and planning what I would say.

Finally one Sunday afternoon, I said a quick prayer, called him, and told him if he had the buns, I had the barbecue.

Now here we sat in my kitchen, the sound of his "I think I love you" echoing in my brain, while he munched scorched barbecue and talked about how wonderful Bill and Jayne had been.

Suddenly, A.K. stopped chewing and asked, "Well, are you going to marry me or not? If you're not, there's no sense in going on with this."

I looked at him—a man I had known for 32 years, a man I knew to be independent, hard-working, brusque, and a little intimidating; a man who, as far as I knew, had been a good father and a good husband. I couldn't swallow. The only thing I could think of was: I started this, God. Now what do I do?

The great comeback of the year fell trippingly from my tongue: "If all my children say it's all right."

Less than three weeks later, we married. Our five children attended, a little hurt, a little embarrassed—a great deal shocked. Everybody smiled a lot, ate a little, and (I heard later) sat around saying over and over, "I didn't even know they liked each other."

It hasn't always been easy combining two families. It hasn't been easy sharing an intimate life with another person, but A.K. and I have been married ten years now. And every day has been lightning in a bottle—bright, exciting, intense, and sometimes filled with thunder. He insists I pay the bills and keep the checkbook balanced. He encourages me to read about insurance and health care, but he buys the groceries and programs the VCR.

Sometimes, when I turn a calendar page and find a note, when I open my desk drawer and find an inscription carved into a pencil, when I find a note taped to the steering wheel of my car, when I hear A.K. say, even in his sleep, "I love ya', Babe," I thank God for a second chance at love. I thank God for his promise through Paul to the Romans and to me: "All things work together for good to those who love God" (Rom. 8:28). I thank God for giving me the courage to invite A.K. for supper … and for giving me the courage to answer that knock at my door.

Reprinted from A Better Tomorrow (January/February 1995), 1995 Donna Smith. Used by permission.

1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine (formerly Christian Reader).
Click here for reprint information.

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