21 Years and How We Met!

On Friday, the 30th of March, Christo and I will be married 21 years! 

For the sake of memory making I want to share how we met.  

NOTE:  The whole time while writing this post, I sat with a smile on my face! :-)

It all started with a conversation between my aunt and me at a Sunday lunch in December 1986 - the year I finished school. My Aunt’s husband was a comedian in the entertaining business, They badly wanted to introduce me to the young Magician who was performing with them for some time.

  

During that Sunday lunch I agreed to meet him.  

Surprisingly, when my Aunt approached the young man he wasn’t interested!  I didn’t ponder on it, and thought it just wasn’t meant to be. Three weeks later my uncle was in hospital for some routine tests, when my dad decided to go and pay him a visit.  While he was visiting my uncle, the Magician showed up. My dad wasn’t even aware that my aunt was trying to match us, and just had a friendly conversation with him. 

Then a few days later my aunt called me, thrilled to inform me, the Magician asked her to arrange a blind date for the two of us.  

She, as well as I, was very amused that the Magician not only finally agreed for us to meet, he was eagerly looking forward to meet me, as soon as the coming Friday, and that - after he met my father!  

That Friday evening my parents drove me to my aunt’s small holding outside Bloemfontein in the Bainsvlei area. I tried on 3 outfits before I was finally satisfied with my appearance and can still remember chatting with my mother the Friday afternoon, trying to envision what the evening would be like.  I was all excited and could hardly wait to meet this handsome young man - a Magician. Very eager to make a good impression, I put my glasses in my handbag and convinced myself I will not have difficulty to see without my glasses.   I was 17 years old and life was promising with expectations and surprises! 

We were at my aunt’s place first and afterwards I couldn’t remember one word about the conversation we had before the Magician arrived! The first thing I remember is the moment  he appeared in the lounge’s doorway and the pair of blue eyes looking at me…! After my parents left, we would have dinner with my aunt, uncle and their three young children and then he would take me home. We didn’t say much to each other during the evening. My aunt and uncle kept the conversation going. I very distinctly remember sitting at the dinner table, him next to me, so near and the touch of his fingers, when he took my hand when my uncle said grace…

After dinner and coffee, he took me home in his dad’s new car - quite impressive (LOL). All the way I couldn’t think of anything to say, I was so afraid I would say something that made me look stupid!  At home, he walked me to the door like a real gentleman and said good night. My dad was still awake - In the years to follow my dad would never go to bed before he heard Christo leaving - must be part of God’s protection on our life to stay pure till the day we married.  

The next day I was nervously waiting for any clue that he felt the same chemistry I did and would like to get to know me better. Sometime during the afternoon my Aunt called me, she just want to warn me, he is going to call me and ask me out to the movies! I hardly put down the phone and the phone rang again.  It was him and he asked me out to the movies. And for the love of me  I cannot remember what the name of the movie was! Afterwards he took me for a cool drink at a restaurant in the highest building in Bloemfontein, looking down on the most beautiful garden in front of the Opera house. It was just so romantic.  No one ever made me feel so special as he did that evening.

That night, just before he left, he asked me to accompany him to church the Sunday evening and afterwards have tea with his parents.  I was so nervous! He wants to introduce me to his parents? 

Well, the rest was history!  Two weeks later he asked me to be his girlfriend and I’m his ever since! 

The following couple of years I was his assistant when he performed on stage as a Magician. He even pierced swords through my head!  I trusted him with my life from the start! In later years he laid down this hoppy of being a Magician, but his sons periodically try their hands at the tricks.

We only got engaged almost three years later - my Mother believed I had to finish my studies before I could get married. We got engaged on my Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary 

and got married another 15 months later, three months after I finished my studies.

The past 21 years: 

I’m secure -  I’m married to a man who pursue God and long to bring Him glory every day of his life and loves me like Jesus loves the church and he will and is giving his life for me...

I’m growing -  he is making me holy and constantly challenge me to become more than I can be…

I’m living my dream - sharing every day’s joy and challenges with my best friend, stay at home and homeschool our 8 Blessings…

Thank you God for creating me to be this Man’s Helper. Please grant me the wisdom to help him become everything You intend him to be.

Amen

From my Husband:

What Linnie forgot to add was that she was not so impressed with my dad’s second car that I visited her with the following Monday! It was a (much) older car of which the passenger seat was so warn out that when you sat down, you were almost level with the road, and had to peep over the dash board. Linnie is the very best thing that God ever brought over my path. It was with wonderful memories and smiles that I read this posting of her. What amazed me over the years is with what great amount of detail that she remembered important events.