Love At First Sight
Sitting on an uncomfortable wooden bench at the back of a large circus-style tent waiting for the program to begin, Harold was thinking about why he was there. If he was honest with himself, it was because he wanted to escape having to study all afternoon. He was not a particularly good student, and his studies were a challenge.
When he was in his late teens, he felt very deeply in his heart God was calling him to be a missionary. Now in his early twenties, he was enrolled at Southern California Bible College intent on becoming equipped to serve as a missionary in some far-off corner of the world.
During the decade of the 1920’s, traveling preachers, endeavoring to awaken the spiritual consciousness of the nation, were common around the country. They would come into a town and erect giant tents to hold revival or “tent” meetings.
Harold had heard about one in the area and invited Bill, his college roommate, to come along to see what it was all about. Harold reasoned that these kinds of events were certainly better than studying. Besides, they were often a good place to meet nice girls. That provided all the incentive either of them needed. Their studies could wait.
As they watched and waited, Harold saw four attractive young women enter from the back of the tent. They were smiling and chatting with each other as they started down the aisle. One of the girls immediately caught Harold’s interest. He nudged Bill with his elbow. “Do you see that girl coming down the aisle over there?” he asked.
Bill looked, “Which one?”
“The pretty one. Second one back,” Harold responded.
“Uh-huh.” Bill wasn’t paying much attention. He was looking at one of the other girls.
“That’s the woman I’m going to marry!”
Bill almost fell off the bench. Looking at Harold in complete surprise he asked, “You’re going to do what? What are you talking about?” Followed quickly with, “Who is that girl?”
Harold just kept looking at her and repeated very matter-of-factly, “That’s the woman I’m going to marry.” Pausing, he then added, “I don’t know who she is. I’ve never seen her before in my life.”
As they continued to watch, the girl Harold had identified began looking around the tent and happened to glance in his direction. Their eyes met ever so briefly. “She smiled,” Harold said with a wide grin. “Did you see that, Bill?” Punching his arm. “She smiled.”
The Hunter Being Hunted
Sitting on an uncomfortable wooden bench at the back of a large circus-style tent waiting for the program to begin, Harold was thinking about why he was there. If he was honest with himself, it was because he wanted to escape having to study all afternoon. He was not a particularly good student, and his studies were a challenge.
When he was in his late teens, he felt very deeply in his heart God was calling him to be a missionary. Now in his early twenties, he was enrolled at Southern California Bible College intent on becoming equipped to serve as a missionary in some far-off corner of the world.
During the decade of the 1920’s, traveling preachers, endeavoring to awaken the spiritual consciousness of the nation, were common around the country. They would come into a town and erect giant tents to hold revival or “tent” meetings.
Harold had heard about one in the area and invited Bill, his college roommate, to come along to see what it was all about. Harold reasoned that these kinds of events were certainly better than studying. Besides, they were often a good place to meet nice girls. That provided all the incentive either of them needed. Their studies could wait.
As they watched and waited, Harold saw four attractive young women enter from the back of the tent. They were smiling and chatting with each other as they started down the aisle. One of the girls immediately caught Harold’s interest. He nudged Bill with his elbow. “Do you see that girl coming down the aisle over there?” he asked.
Bill looked, “Which one?”
“The pretty one. Second one back,” Harold responded.
“Uh-huh.” Bill wasn’t paying much attention. He was looking at one of the other girls.
“That’s the woman I’m going to marry!”
Bill almost fell off the bench. Looking at Harold in complete surprise he asked, “You’re going to do what? What are you talking about?” Followed quickly with, “Who is that girl?”
Harold just kept looking at her and repeated very matter-of-factly, “That’s the woman I’m going to marry.” Pausing, he then added, “I don’t know who she is. I’ve never seen her before in my life.”
As they continued to watch, the girl Harold had identified began looking around the tent and happened to glance in his direction. Their eyes met ever so briefly. “She smiled,” Harold said with a wide grin. “Did you see that, Bill?” Punching his arm. “She smiled.”
