Claiborn circa 1988

“I’ve got you.  You’ve got me.  Together we make it.”  Our actual pre-nup agreement signed on a napkin at Mary Kay’s (the name is ironic) tavern over a frozen fishbowl. 

On July 17, 1988 I met a woman named Mary Richmeier at a softball game at the Frank Stramel Softball Complex.  I was thinking about it today and I am absolutely amazed at how many details had to happen for it to even be possible.  She’s a farmers daughter from Moreland, Kansas.  I grew up in Kansas City.  I had dropped out of college over a year before coming to Hays and had been working in Kansas City. 

I didn’t know I was going to come to Fort Hays State until I was packing as weird as that sounds.  A bad relationship had soured me to the whole idea of dating so I wasn’t.  I went to school here for three years before that day and was planning a move to Fayetteville, Arkansas to get a Masters degree – alone. 

I was asked to play softball that particular season by a guy I barely knew.  Her brother happened to be on that same team.  I had never met him.  Mary showed up to maybe have a beer and watch her brother.  I had noticed her, but had only spoken a couple of words to her until a weekend tournament in Phillipsburg, Kansas.  It was there that we actually had our first conversation. 

Two (2) dates later I almost asked her to marry me.  I knew.  I waited for two months to finally ask her and I thought that was being patient.  She said yes and we were so excited, but we decided that maybe we should wait to tell anyone so they would not think we were rushing it and we were freaking out a little bit.

We actually asked our parents for permission to move in together so she could go to Fayetteville with me.  They said yes after her mom had to be told it would not be in separate apartments.  Her dad just looked at me and said, “I don’t want to be hiring a babysitter for a wedding.”  Roy Richmeier was a classic.  My dad asked, “What would you do if I was dead?”  Chester Claiborn was also a classic.  I told him I would take her with me, and he said that’s probably what I ought to do. 

Have you ever wondered how things work out the way they do?  I have no doubt whatsoever that God had a plan to put us together, but free will is real.  We have choices.  What if I had not moved?  What if I said no to the invitation to play softball?  What if I had been too nervous to talk to her? 

I heard an analogy once about how God see’s my life.  If I am standing on the street watching a parade, I can see a little ahead of me and what is in front of me.  I can turn to look at what has already passed me, but I can really only see a little of that.  The rest is out of my sight.  However, from God’s view on high He can see the beginning and the middle and the end of the same parade.  We have free will, He just knows what we will choose and how it is all going to turn out before we do.

Have you ever wondered why life can feel so crazy even though God can ultimately control it?

Have you ever stopped to think that all of the best parts of your life could have not existed? 

Challenge:  Trying to figure out an adequate way of telling God thank you for July 17, 1988, and every single day since.