Divine Appointments

My thoughts never drifted to my apprehensions or concerns. I became aware of his manhood gently entering, slowing filling its appointed sheath without pain or discomfort. We were truly one, and I was fulfilled beyond my greatest hopes or dreams. The same euphoric energy returned and increased within me. I had to separate from his lips to breathe and allow my wordless declarations of euphoria to escape from the depths of my soul. My body exploded again with intense pleasure. He paused to let me recover before building the potent sensations again. We both made utterances of love and elation as in perfect harmony before we climaxed together. Every good word: joy, happiness, pleasure, elation—combine them all and they fail to convey the marvelous state I was in.

We laid next to each other, fighting for breath. We held each other as if we wanted to blend ourselves into one being and I basked in total contentment. I finally voiced the question on my lips.

"Oh, my Lord. Where those amazing releases the climax I'd heard of?"

"My dear, you had, I believe, three orgasms. Was that the first time you felt that?"

"Yes, and I hope it's not the last."

"Not only is it not the last for the evening, but it is the first of many for the rest of our lives. Did you like my mouth on you?"

"Absolutely. I never heard of someone doing such a thing. Is it common? Do you like doing that? Isn't it unclean?"

"It is one of my favorite things to do. And as man and wife, only we can decide what is unclean between us. But for tonight, it was important for me to provide you with the lubrication you needed to make our joining comfortable. As to whether it's common or not, I don't care what others do or enjoy. As for me, I would love to spend hours each day giving you that loving attention. Your taste is now my favorite flavor."

I laughed at the way he said it. It looked like he had a new favorite toy, and I was thrilled I was the toy he craved. "You can do that all you want, my love. I never knew that making love could be like that," I said breathlessly. "I want to do this often."

He chuckled, held me tightly, and softly said, "I love you, Bal."

We made love four more times that night. An army of men couldn't remove the smiles from our faces.

As we embraced and drifted off to sleep, I contemplated my life. 1918 was tragic. 1922 started poorly and almost meant the end for Pearl and me. Then I found a love that I'd never expected or dreamed about. 1923 opened my world, and what a wonderful world it is.

God blessed me beyond measure. I felt that Bill was prophetic when he told me Job was doubly blessed. My blessings were greatly multiplied. God's divine appointment brought Bill and me together, and I will be eternally grateful.

*****

Epilogue

The week Bill and I married, we decided we should move to a more civilized location. We bought a home not too far from Tom and our friends and enjoyed the comforts of electricity, refrigeration for preserving food, and the convenience of a local grocery for food and supplies.

Our new home also allowed Pearl to attend school and gave Bill much more time to write now that he didn't need to hunt for food or constantly find and chop firewood. We expected there would be more children, so we had work to do to fill the 5 bedrooms in our new home.

And work we did. Mathew was born in January of 1924. Louise joined the family on Easter week in 1925. Before we were finished we had eight children in total. Pearl was like a second mother to her siblings, and we were fortunate that all were healthy.

Bill became a successful author of theological textbooks and often was a guest instructor at various seminaries. He was recognized as the world's most noted authority on Christian apologetics and his books on the Old Testament set the curriculum for many universities and seminaries.

We still enjoyed our daily bottle of wine. I wanted to try and preserve the lace curtains to honor Catherine, but they eventually showed their age and needed to be replaced. For his 65^th birthday, I had a picture of Catherine framed with one of the remaining lace curtains used as a background. It really was beautiful and Bill was touched by the gift.

Bill and I sat quietly after everyone left from his 65^th birthday party. He was subdued and obviously had something on his mind. I remember what he said as clearly as if it just happened.

He looked at the picture of Catherine, and with tears in his eyes, he shared his thoughts.

"I think of Catherine often. When she died, I was so angry with God. I said horrible things to Him and asked how he could let that tragedy happen. I came to realize something important, and while I don't understand it all, I'm thankful. If Catherine had lived, I would not have moved to the woods. I would not have met you, my love. You and Pearl would most likely have perished. Robert's only progeny would not have survived and his legacy would end. Catherine was barren, so I would have no one to carry on my legacy. Instead, you and I have been greatly blessed. So I thank God for everything that happened. I may not understand what His hands do, but I trust His heart. I even believe Catherine would have chosen the same path if she knew what the outcome would be, and I'm sure she rejoices at His throne for the life we've had because of her sacrifice."

Bill passed in my arms in 1966 at the age of 81. Our family continued to grow with 27 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren at last count. He felt blessed that all our children were alive at his passing, although we lost Louise a year later in a traffic accident.

Bill and I never forgot to thank God for His blessings. I was convinced in 1922 that my life would be short and tragic. Through the years, I made it my duty to tell anyone who would listen to trust God, and seek his divine appointments. They make all the difference.