Bob, Ben, And Becky

I don't claim to be a matchmaker but  maybe the Lord allowed me to help along His master plan. This is from July 30, 2009.

Two weeks ago today, while in Kansas, I stopped into a STARBUCKS near Dave and Sally's house to get my morning caffeine fix. One thing about STARBUCKS, besides expensive coffee and cheerful employees, is their in-house radio station. You hear all styles of music as you sip your chosen beverage. As I sat in one of their chairs that make you want to hang around, I heard Bob Dylan's 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright' over the sound system. It wasn't Dylan singing but an unknown female artist. She gave a good rendition of one of the best breakup songs ever, making the coffee worth the $1.59 which would have been .89 at McDonald's.

That night, Dave and I saw the new Jamie Foxx-Robert Downey, Jr. movie, The Soloist. Dave had this idea to take me to one of the only uniquely Wichita dining establishments so after the film, we went to Nu-Way Burgers where they serve crumbly beef and homemade root beer. (FIVE STARS!) What do you think was playing on their system? Once again, it was 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright,' this time Peter, Paul, And Mary's version. I doubt I'd heard that song in five years and then, twice in a day, far from home by different artists. Do you think I was the only person who heard that song twice that day? Was it completely random and would anybody but me even notice? Sally seemed to think not and I admit, my mind is wired that way.

Eleven years ago today, I moved to Houston. Early in the morning of July 30, 1998, Dad and I hopped into a JARTRAN truck and hit the road from Lebanon, Tennessee. We were not alone. Following in my Ford Aerostar was a former student, Ben Johnson, who volunteered to go with us to drive my van. Ben, a high school senior-to-be, even paid for his plane ticket back and would take no reimbursement. Arriving in Houston, we stayed with the family of Greg Glenn, the WCS athletic director I had known since 1983 from basketball camps. Over the next several years, Ben would travel to Honduras on mission trips with a large contingent of Houstonians, including Greg and his family and me. Five years ago, we needed a math teacher/coach at Westbury Christian and we called Ben. He came and has been on our staff since then. Ben met a young lady in the singles' group at his congregation, the lovely Becky Bell, and after a year of courtship, they married this March. I said all that to say this: I believe if Ben had not come with me eleven years ago, he never would have married Becky. I had told him two or three times that while I appreciated his offer to help Dad and me, we were fine without him. Ben was persistent and finally, I accepted his offer. Do you think it was in God's plan for Ben to make that two day drive with us? Was the marriage of Becky and Ben already on the heavenly Save The Date Master Schedule and did the Lord need to move the young Mr. Johnson to Texas? Or, was it a completely random gesture by a very nice kid? Christians often quote Jeremiah 29:11 as evidence of God's working in our lives: 
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 
In my mind, God simply used me to bring Ben and Becky together for a happily-ever-after love song. Bob Dylan could not have written it any better.

Applicable quote of the day:
"Don't matter how much money you got, there's only two kinds of people: there's saved people and there's lost people."
Bob Dylan

To watch and hear Bob Dylan sing a live version of 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright,' with Eric Clapton, please click this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ar7C6_L3Fg

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com