Good Enough To Be With You?
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series III, Cycle C
They had been pen pals of a sort for only ten months but their letters came more and more frequently. Just about every day Milly would get a letter from Nathan. It took Milly only an hour to write a long letter back, walk it to the post office down the road, and go on with whatever she was doing.
They wrote about their routine lives at first. Milly described the children she taught and Nathan did his best to tell her about his job at a manufacturing plant. Every once in a while, in the middle of describing their ordinary lives, a personal thought would be interjected.
Milly was touched when Nathan explained that he had left early from work one day to clean the house. He wanted it to look nice because his sister and brother-in-law were coming over. Between describing the very brief guilt he felt over serving catered food and a dessert from the nearby bakery, he mentioned how much he loved his sister and her husband. She had been so caring when Nathan's wife died almost twelve years before.
"What would I do without my sister?" he had written. "She's my ray of sunshine and calls me every Saturday night." The simple statement had brought tears to Milly's eyes.
Nathan felt he could trust Milly. She, who taught children with disabilities, shared how much she had always loved children. Her barren womb had produced no children in her brief marriage so long ago. Milly wrote Nathan that she had always felt that her ex-husband could not bear the thought of not having a house full of children. "I don't blame him much anymore." Nathan had dreamed of the day he would meet this man. He was going to tell him a thing or two!
And Nathan had a thing or two to tell Milly. Finally he wrote her to say he could not stand it any longer. He had to come and see her in person. Could he make the 1,800 mile trip to meet her?
"I know your heart, Nathan. I know your life. I know your dreams and your hopes. I hope I'm good enough for you." Milly told him she had waited for the chance to meet Nathan since her first letter to him.
That first letter was quite an event. Milly's sister, Fran, had given Milly Nathan's address a while before. She insisted Milly write, but Milly was shy. One day, Fran stood over her and told Milly if she didn't write Nathan, Fran herself would write him and sign Milly's name. Fran was usually not so bold. Milly complied. They wrote shyly at first. But then the exchange became more frequent. Now their friendship had blossomed to a deeper level. Milly couldn't wait to meet Nathan.
"Do you want me to send you a picture?" Milly wrote. "Should I describe myself in detail?" Milly was worried about the extra twenty pounds her body carried.
"Milly," came Nathan's answer. "You should know by now that I know your mind and your spirit. Your mind is weighty; your spirit is light. You shall be perfect no matter what size your body comes in."
That was eleven years ago. Milly and Nathan have just celebrated their tenth anniversary with a quiet reception in their honor at their retirement apartment.
Lucky is the man who finds a woman whose inner beauty shines. Lucky is the woman who finds a man whose search reaches the soul.
God bless Milly and Nathan!
They wrote about their routine lives at first. Milly described the children she taught and Nathan did his best to tell her about his job at a manufacturing plant. Every once in a while, in the middle of describing their ordinary lives, a personal thought would be interjected.
Milly was touched when Nathan explained that he had left early from work one day to clean the house. He wanted it to look nice because his sister and brother-in-law were coming over. Between describing the very brief guilt he felt over serving catered food and a dessert from the nearby bakery, he mentioned how much he loved his sister and her husband. She had been so caring when Nathan's wife died almost twelve years before.
"What would I do without my sister?" he had written. "She's my ray of sunshine and calls me every Saturday night." The simple statement had brought tears to Milly's eyes.
Nathan felt he could trust Milly. She, who taught children with disabilities, shared how much she had always loved children. Her barren womb had produced no children in her brief marriage so long ago. Milly wrote Nathan that she had always felt that her ex-husband could not bear the thought of not having a house full of children. "I don't blame him much anymore." Nathan had dreamed of the day he would meet this man. He was going to tell him a thing or two!
And Nathan had a thing or two to tell Milly. Finally he wrote her to say he could not stand it any longer. He had to come and see her in person. Could he make the 1,800 mile trip to meet her?
"I know your heart, Nathan. I know your life. I know your dreams and your hopes. I hope I'm good enough for you." Milly told him she had waited for the chance to meet Nathan since her first letter to him.
That first letter was quite an event. Milly's sister, Fran, had given Milly Nathan's address a while before. She insisted Milly write, but Milly was shy. One day, Fran stood over her and told Milly if she didn't write Nathan, Fran herself would write him and sign Milly's name. Fran was usually not so bold. Milly complied. They wrote shyly at first. But then the exchange became more frequent. Now their friendship had blossomed to a deeper level. Milly couldn't wait to meet Nathan.
"Do you want me to send you a picture?" Milly wrote. "Should I describe myself in detail?" Milly was worried about the extra twenty pounds her body carried.
"Milly," came Nathan's answer. "You should know by now that I know your mind and your spirit. Your mind is weighty; your spirit is light. You shall be perfect no matter what size your body comes in."
That was eleven years ago. Milly and Nathan have just celebrated their tenth anniversary with a quiet reception in their honor at their retirement apartment.
Lucky is the man who finds a woman whose inner beauty shines. Lucky is the woman who finds a man whose search reaches the soul.
God bless Milly and Nathan!
