A Beautiful Morning Part III

After Nate had taken Sam out and played with him a bit, leaving Anne mercilessly to the questions of his parents, he returned to find that Jean had come to her rescue and they were now laughing together in the aisle. As he approached he got the feeling from the look on his sister's face that he was the subject being discussed.

"Well ladies, nice to see you getting along. Care to share in the joy?"
"Well, I'm sure that we're happy to share some joy with you, but I'm afraid the conversation is just between us ladies. Sorry Nate."
"Eh, such is life I guess. Can't say that I honestly thought you'd tell me Jean. Though I would like to know if you ever feel like telling me..."
"Right, right. Hope springs eternal..."
"And "hope is the certainty of bliss to come!"
"Speaking of hope, would you two like to come with Josh and I to the Arboretum for a picnic lunch?"
There was an overwhelmingly positive answer from both of them at this, so the plan was set.

*************************************

The arboretum was marvelous.

As Nate and Anne arrived they could see Samuel already busy running around the park entrance, pointing out flowers and birds, tugging at the hands of his parents as the delights of his Creator enthralled his mind.

As Nate helped Anne out of the car, he felt that tug on his soul to be nervous once more, and worry about what would happen. But instead of giving himself over to this depressing hopelessness he repeated an idea to himself that had been born out of many conversations with his father and brother-in-law.

"I am a child of God," he thought to himself. "An actor in His play. A bit of a comedy so far, but destined to be an amazingly inspiring drama. Still, just an actor. The plot is up to Him, I only ad-lib a few lines, and those only when He gives permission."

As they walked together up to the entrance to the arboretum to meet up with the young family, Nate turned to Anne and said "I just want to thank you for coming today Anne. I'm really glad that you're here, and that you're up for a picnic with my family."

"It's my pleasure Nate, really. Being at school has been good, and good for me, but I've really missed my family. Visiting with yours has been wonderfully refreshing. You really have a wonderful family, filled with good people."

As Nate was trying to ad-lib for Christ, Samuel ran up and pointed out to his uncle and new friend that there was a "coney" spying on them from beneath a bush! Nate, who knew that Josh's love of English Literature often came out in his daily speech, laughed aloud at his nephew's British vocabulary, while Anne was simply amused and politely surprised at it.

A comical chase soon entailed; the fearless and vertically challenged hunter hopelessly outrun by his intended game as his adoring entourage followed at a safe distance. The chase did serve to user them deep into the center of the arboretum, like a good curator, who draws guests into a museum and surrounds them with priceless works of art.

The arboretum was miraculously beautiful that afternoon. Spring was just in the midst of fulfilling the promise of the early green buds of late winter. Even the barest of branches nourished a few new leaves. Those plants that had started early were in full bloom, and the ducks swam happily in the ponds only to be disturbed by the occational "plopplop" of a turtle falling into the cool water. The warm sunlight and the fresh breeze seemed to have teamed up to lazily chase the cool shadows of the leaves back and forth across the clean clipped grass.

In this place of gentle beauty the five of them passed the hour with food, friendship and felicity. Soon Sam had worn himself out with play, and his parents were of a mind to get him home before he fell asleep. So with fond farewells they left Nate and Anne in this veritable garden in high spirits.

What could have been an awkward situation was by-passed by equal agreeance that such a fine afternoon should not be wasted indoors. So the two of them stayed and talked to their hearts content as the ducks chased themselves across the water.

Finally, as the sun reddened the clouds and cast amber rays through the branches overhead, Nate gave Anne his hand and helped the lady up. As they walked back through the arbors the scent of lemon blossoms played in the evening breeze.

Nate had never been in a more romantic situation in his life. All sorts of lovely feelings were sweeping out of his chest and up, trying to escape from his mouth. But he had never felt more at peace either.

As he thought more about the place in which he found himself, he realized that it was this that was evoking much of these powerful feelings in him. For a moment he considered letting them overwhelm him. He felt as though he could sing an impromptu ballad for the immensely intelligent, enjoyable and beautiful lady he found in Anne.

He could almost let himself go, and if he did, Heaven help this lady.

He was, after all, his father's son, a student of his mother's eloquence, and the loving brother of his first best-friend and older sister.

Self-doubt is for the weak, pride doubly so. Humility and full recognition and knowledge of one's gifts from God, complete with their inherent dangers, is wisdom. And Nate was nothing if not the heir of a God fearing man.

But the truth of the moment held him back from the swirl of his emotions. It was, in fact, due to Anne herself that he held the power of his feelings in check. Her countenance and internal poise that he had experienced throughout the afternoon had impressed upon him just how truly beautiful she was; a devote, young lady of high intelligence living a chaste life in the pursual of God.

So as Nate drove Anne back to her dorm, he held his tongue. Merely agreeing with Anne as she spoke of what a lovely time she had had.

He politely bade her "Good night," and saw her to the door with all the decency and friendliness he usually did, but kept his thoughts of the day to himself. Soon he was back in his car, driving back home.

As his emotional flood subsided, he was struck by the fact that even though he felt like this about her, she was not really the girl of his dreams. For all the wonders that God had created in her, he knew she was not the one he'd been praying for since his childhood.

And yet, for a moment, she had been. For a moment she was his first date, she was his last, and all the dates inbetween. She was his sister in Christ, his friend, and wife to be.

"Good Lord, she's a symbol!"

When he opened the door to the apartment he shared with three other guys from the college, one of his roommates hollered "So, what did you do today?"

Nate smiled slowly and shook his head.

"I took a walk with a woman."