Written with love, by Pastor Dave Page
The best investment I ever made was the investment I made in my future wife. I’d like to say it was planned but I’d be lying. I met Carrie when I was fifteen years old and she was fourteen. I remember playing basketball at our high school gym and pausing to watch Carrie Marie Finch practice her volleyball serve against the wall. I was mesmerized.
I asked my younger sister (Suzy) to tell Carrie that I though she was cute – so Junior High. A week later, I asked my sister if she’d shared the earth-shattering news. “Yeah, I told her,” she replied. “What did she say?” I asked. “That’s nice,” she replied. Oh well. I figured there were other fish in the sea so I never asked her out. We did become friends but dated other people for over ten years. I went to New Orleans for college and she went to Minneapolis. One summer I came home and started attending a Bible Study that Carrie also began attending. A group of fifty college students from the Bible Study were going to Hume Lake Christian Camp, a popular camp located in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains in northern California.
INVESTING IN MY FUTURE WIFE
I was in charge of signing people up from our Bible Study. Everyone in our group was going except Carrie. “Why isn’t Carrie going?” I asked. Our Bible Study leader shared with me that Carrie was one of seven siblings. Her father was a Junior High School principal and her mother was a stay at home mom so they couldn’t afford to send here to camp. “I’ll pay for her to go,” I told the Bible Study leader. “But you have to promise not to tell her. Just say that an anonymous donor gave the money.” I said. The Bible Study leader shared the good news with Carrie. She was thrilled she could go. The camp experience was fabulous.
Five years later I was working at Nordstrom when Carrie walked in just ten minutes before I was off work. I hadn’t seen her in years. She was in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt and her hair was messed up from working out. I thought to myself, “If she’s looks that good after working out, just think how she’d look all cleaned up.” I said hello to her and then asked if she was married. “No, how about you?” she asked. “Nope. Hey, I’m off in ten minutes. Would you like to grab a bite to eat?” I asked. “I’d love to,” she replied.
We went out to dinner together and had a fantastic time. The air was electric. As I walked her to her car it hit me about paying for camp. I’d forgotten all about it until now. “Remember when we went to Hume Lake Camp in college?” I asked. “Yeah, that was really fun,” she replied. “Did you know that I paid for you to go?” I asked. “Get out of here. You did not,” she replied. “Yep, that was me. I’d forgotten about it over the years but wanted you to know,” I said. “Wow. I don’t know what to say. Thanks,” she replied.
I admitted to her that I’d had a crush on her since we were teenagers. She shared that she’d had a crush on me as well. Who knew? “Remember when my sister told you that I thought you were cute?” I asked. “Yeah, but I thought she meant your younger brother John,” she replied. I have a brother who is a year younger. “I didn’t know she meant it was you,” she said.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Two weeks after our fateful meeting I asked her out on our first official date. Three months later I told her that I loved her and nine months later I asked for her hand in marriage. The wisest investment you can ever make is always in people. My investment in my wife before we were married has paid tremendous dividends for over twenty-five years. Now that’s was I call a good return on investment!
