She left the bouquet at the altar, laying it gently upon its side, fresh and fragrant. The flowers lying at the altar spoke than any words could, she thought. With a heavy heart, she moved away from the bouquet and lifted her eyes from the perfectly formed roses she loved .

She could not go through with this wedding.
She could not become Mrs. David Anton.

She took David’s hand and squeezed it.
Tears were running down her cheek.
“I’m sorry, David. I’m so sorry. I’ve got to go” she said, almost choking on her words.

David was still, calm.
He held her diamond ring in his hand, clasped tightly. He would hold it all the way home. Somehow her ring nestled in his fist felt good. He would hold it tightly until his mind could think again.

To say their wedding was “expected” was an understatement.
Everyone in town knew David and Sarah were a match!

They were very young and it had been so easy! Their families were for them, their friends were for them. They had barely had time to decide who they were individually when it seemed time to marry!

Now, Sarah was leaving Dunkirk. She had made her decision, one that would change not only her life but the lives of all those around her. Sarah was moving to the city to pursue the deepest desire of her heart, her art. Her art was something that had been locked up, kept in a secret place for a long time. She had felt that she was betraying herself in not pursuing it. She told David her art must live and if not now, when? She told him she could not be tied down to a husband and children at this time and sacrifice what was deep in her heart.

David turned out the lights and walked slowly from the church, Sarah’s ring still tucked in the palm of his hand.

“Would there ever be another?” he thought to himself.
“How will I get through these next weeks and months?”
“God , I need you,’ he prayed.
“Show me what to do.!”

Allison had given it up to God.

She lay on her bed, her left arm dangling from her side. She had gone limp as a rag doll! “Spaghetti arms” her sister used to call her! She always dangled her arms from the side of the bed when she was in deep thought.

She knew there was a place she belonged….a place like no other.
She knew it would cost her…the heartbreak of her parents.
There would have to be many goodbyes with no promises made.

Allison knew she had to go…it was deep inside. It was a call she could not explain to some people, not of her own making, but of God.

College, career, prestige, money, all the things her parents had planned for her seemed to grow dim in the light of her growing conviction.

It was all there before her eyes.
Jason, Africa, the children, her singing, the adventure, even the fear! All she could see were their faces, the children swaying to the drumbeat, pounding little bare feet on the dirt floor of the tiny building. She could hear their voices and the pounding rhythm of their song bouncing from the walls . These were the children that needed her. These were the ones that she must go to. She must find them.
And Jason.
How did he fit in?
Should they wait?
Should they go together?
How would God answer their prayer…give them a clear answer?

Allison thought about their coming date to meet at the church and go out for dinner and talk. This would be a serious night, one that would determine the future. Jason would be arriving to meet her in front of the church in a matter of minutes!

Allison brushed her hair, grabbed her keys and darted toward the small white Toyota that sat in her driveway.

She felt such a wave of freedom brush over her as she drove the two miles to Kingdom House Church. The windows were down and the air was exhilarating!

She rounded the corner just as Jason pulled up to the curb in front of the church. “This is it, God!” Allison thought.
“Give us Your Heart! Give us Your Plan!”
“There are no promises made, God, except to You. Show us what to do because I won’t make a move without knowing I’ve heard from You.”

Jason took her hand. It felt strong and protective as it always had.
His eyes were full of questions too.
Allison looked at them one more time.
Jason’s eyes were so full of gentleness, so full of tenderness and strength!

Their love had been a shining light. They knew it was real. They knew it was only a matter of time.

Jason opened the car door for her once again, and once again, Allison started to slip into the comfort of Jason’s world when she found her hand suddenly touching his.

“No, Jason,” she heard herself saying…”not now. Let’s go into the church and pray.”

Gently, quietly, their direction changed. They walked up the steps to Kingdom House and Allison took out her key to open the door.

With a small nudge, Jason pushed the heave wooden door open and to Allison’s surprise they walked inside. She stuck her key back into her purse.

It was one of those amazing hours of the day when the Sun is streaked with blazing reds and pinks and the clouds all disappear and god gets out his Awesome Watercolors and paints you into the scene He has created…one so beautiful you never thought you’d see it!

Allison and Jason sat in the middle pew of the church, praying together, hands touching only slightly as the sunset streamed through the windows and seemed to bathe the altar in its glow.

After a few minutes of silent, simple prayer, Jason rose and walked away.
Allison sat motionless ,tears were forming in her eyes as she sensed the presence of God.

It would be so hard to leave Jason. Her love for him had grown over the last six months as they had begun to realize God had given them something very special. Allison looked up as Jason tapped her on the shoulder.

“Allison, “ he said, “Let’s go to Africa!”
Her eyes fell upon the beautiful bouquet he was handing her! It was wrapped in silver paper and filled with yellow roses and daisies….like something that fell out of Heaven! The fragrance of the bouquet filled the space between them. “Jason!….Where…”
“I don’t know, Al. I just know it’s for you! Marry me!”
Allison clutched the bouquet tightly, tears flowing from her eyes.

A little piece of paper fell from the wrapping onto her lap.
It was the most beautifully artistic piece of hand written calligraphy Allison had ever seen. The writing looked as if someone had spent hours drawing each tiny letter to perfection!

It said, “Forever and Ever.”

Allison took Jason’s hand.

Finally she spoke.

Ecclesiastes 3 says, “I know that whatever God does, it shall be Forever.”

“Yes, Jason, Yes. Let’s go to Africa!..together.”

Somehow the sunlight seemed to roll around in the room spreading the colors of the Sunset over the altar where Jason found the flowers.

They walked up together to the altar, holding hands.
As they stood before the open bible that lay on the table by the altar, Jason glanced down at the words that stood before him.

“To Everything there is a Season, and a Time for Every Purpose under Heaven.”

He squeezed Allison’s hand.
They knew they would stand here another time very soon and promises would be made, promises that would take them around the world and forever they would stand together.