Doug E. Pudge

Rachel Wednesday #7 – Is It Time To Give Up?

You know, I was thinking. When last we left our story of Doug and Rachel, the beautiful lady school teacher had received her flowers and had thanked Doug. Now, the next week and a half would prove to be a great time of trial in my life! I was going through some “growing pains” that I didn’t really want to experience. I am not talking about just with Rachel, but with a number of aspects of my life. I began to feel that logic would dictate if things are not going well in a new found relationship, then just cut your losses and run! For some reason, I just wasn’t able to do that. I felt that there was something worth my time and effort, but I was beginning to get discouraged. We talked a few times on the phone and did send a few emails but it wasn’t what I had hoped would happen. Rachel had made some definite plans to visit the other match while on Easter break, and although I knew that it would be necessary, I didn’t like the idea of it! Rachel had also been encouraging me to meet other matches during this time. That’s never a good sign! But I did go ahead and do just that. One meeting was not something that I would consider good! This gal just scared me with her “sense of urgency.” The other had some potential, but I just didn’t feel about her like I did about Rachel. Rachel had indeed left an impression on my life. But all of this waiting around was beginning to get to me and although I had told her that I wasn’t going anywhere until she or God told me to go, I was beginning to think that this had run its course. I did have a plan to go up and see the musical on April 7 and was hoping we could get a little time together. Rachel had been very busy with school, her sons and of course the play and she wasn’t sure she would even have time for coffee afterward. So I began to pray about it but with more specificity this time. I asked God for a specific sign. If I was to hang in there a little longer, then the sign would be that Rachel would have time to get together after the play. If things had run their course, the sign would be that she would not have the time. I contemplated writing a letter explaining my decision to stop seeing her in lieu of trying to explain it to her in person just in case this was the last time I would see her. I felt very confident that God would answer this prayer for me and tossed out the letter idea.

April 6, 2006 – This is the night before I was to go to the play. At about 10 p.m. I got a call from Rachel. She wanted to know if I was still planning on coming up and if anyone would be coming with me. She wanted to make sure that she saved enough seats for whoever was coming! I told her that it would be just me coming. She asked me if I wanted to sit in the balcony near the sound booth because that was the best view. Now, I wanted to sit in the balcony near the sound booth because it was near where she was, not because of the view. So I said to her “that would be fine!”

April 7, 2006 – I arrived at the church around 6:30 for the 7 p.m. performance. I went directly to the sound booth area and found Rachel there. Now, the lovely school teacher had not seen me in a couple of weeks and immediately noticed that I had grown a beard (remember two weeks ago I said that this would soon become important: now it’s important)! We gave each other a hug and she was very complimentary about the new look to a very old face! I was very guarded this evening though and didn’t enjoy the moment at all. After exchanging a couple of pleasantries I asked if she would have time after the play to go out. She said that she had arranged it so that she had enough time to go for coffee! HERE’S YOUR SIGN! My feelings were still guarded, but I was confident that it wasn’t time to bow out gracefully! I had to stick around to find out what might happen next.
After a wonderful play, Rachel and I went to a nearby Tim Horton’s for coffee. We sat there and talked mostly about the two of us. I let her know that I understood she still had to make a decision and I was trying to understand the confusion. I also told her that until she had made a final decision that I still wanted to see her as much as time would permit. She had a favorable response to that proposal. She was willing to continue trying to figure out if there was anything there between us. After I had finished my coffee and the waitress was beginning to clean up around us, we decided it was time to leave. She still had about a half a cup of tea and was carrying it out to her car. As we walked, I placed my hand on her back. It must have been a good thing, because she then put her arm around me! We got to her car and I began to give her a hug as was our custom when we departed. This wasn’t a hug though, it became an embrace! We held each other for what seemed like 10 minutes (I am sure it wasn’t much over one). During that time I made a decision that would add a new dimension to our relationship and it would never be the same again. This was (after six dates) our first kiss. The Tim Horton cup she was holding almost didn’t survive. It was quite a moment for me, and apparently for her as well. Nothing had changed about the decision she needed to make but what would happen over the next 5 days would change our lives. That part of the story next week! Be blessed beyond belief today.

posted by Doug E. Pudge @ 7:57 AM