Chronicles in the Life of Peter Blank, Part 10

Episode 10. Peter Finds A ComPETERable Match.
Determined that the bachelor life had lot going for it with its freedom for selfishness, Peter frankly admitted that not one of the many young ladies with whom he had acquaintance (he had never regarded any with girlfriend status) as being suitable as a marriage partner. He conceded that this might be because he had never had any romantic notions or feelings. However, this Cold-heart was in for a shock, as was his family who knew of his bachelorial resolve. For into his life stepped Mary. No, it wasn't one of these "love-at-first-sight", bells clanging, stars twinkling, or heady walk-on-air encounters. On the contrary, they had met and talked several times before he even noticed her. Because Peter was not seeking a match, he failed, at those first encounters, to see the immense beauty in Mary. It was not until one day when she took the time to speak to him that Peter felt, for the first time in his life, "noticed". This is not to minimise the wonderful love and understanding he had received from his kin, but here was someone -- a wonderful combination of both inner and outer beauty -- bearing a caring smile and a soft voice. Peter, however, was still somewhat hardened, for he did not (at this time) feel any romantic inclination. Instead he felt strangely drawn with a desire to get to know this person as a friend. He perceived she had need of friendship and, if he would have been honest enough to admit it, he may have confessed that his need for friendship was equally great. Peter, with a smug self-righteousness began to fool himself into thinking he was doing her a favour by offering friendship. But as he got to know her, as he saw her inner beauty, her outer beauty became more apparent, and he began to realise his great need of her. Soon he was smitten with the "think-of-her-all-of-the-time" syndrome, and the "must-tell-her-how-I-feel-about-her" condition. It was in the actualisation of the latter that he learned that she considered him an answer to her prayer for friendship, and he was forced to admit that he too had pondered his unvoiced loneliness and wondered upon a God who answers a yet unspoken prayer.
The engagement, which followed, amazed them both almost as much as their kin who could not imagine marriage as the item of agendum.
The years have passed quickly since then, and yet Peter will still unequivocally claim that marrying Mary was one of the best things he has ever done. However, the lesson for Peter is not finished yet.


-- Lionel Hartley, Not Finished Yet -- Chronicles in the Life of Peter Blank
"This serial saga, although novel, is not a novel. It is merely a series of true-life episodes highlighting the extraordinary working of an extraordinary God in a very ordinary life. Each episode contained a lesson for Peter Blank, a lesson we can all learn, from a lesson-book life that is not finished yet."
As first appeared in FreEzine Magazine July 2000 ff