A True Love Story

Once upon a time, there lived a young maiden who longed for a love she didn't believe existed, but had only heard about in fairy tales and stories. She had only the sad example of her foster parent's marriage to look to in real life and wondered if there ever could be a true knight in shining armor somewhere in this Realm. A knight who would stay true and love her with all his heart. How, oh how, would she ever find such a love?

Then one day, when she was not expecting it, a young man was introduced to her. He was not the handsomest young man in town, nor was he the strongest. But something shone in his eyes. Oh his eyes! But alas, as she was a young girl and far from marriageable age she could only watch that young man and wait. As she watched and waited; a miraculous thing happened! The young man became her friend. Just a small friendship to be sure, but it was a beginning.

Now as time went on and this young girl got closer to marriageable age, she was surrounded by young men looking for wives of their own. All were men of honor with shining swords in their hands ready to become knights to fair maidens; sweeping them off their feet and carrying them into the golden sunset to begin their happily ever after. The young girl also looked and pondered the goings to and fro of these young men. But there was not to be seen a young man so pure in heart and shining of eyes as the young man who had become her friend. The man who had captured her secret heart. So she waited and watched.

Now this young man who secretly had the young girl's heart kept himself busy. He was busy sharpening his sword and building up his strength to serve the King of the Realm. It seemed that, as he grew in strength, he shone more brighter and fairer than any of the other young men in the land. Little did the young girl know, but this young man secretly had his heart set on her. And was biding his time until the day he felt that he was ready to take on a maiden of his own and do the King's bidding. Quietly he watched the young girl and waited.

Then one day, the young man was given leave by the King of the Realm to set out to find his own true happily ever after. So he went straight away to his friend, the young maiden. His secret desire. He spent time with her and he found they shared many of the same heart felt desires. Desires for serving the great King of the Realm, for staying true to one love in life, for raising children up to serve the King and for steadfastly seeking the way to the King's heavenly home. The young maiden could not believe that this young knight of her dreams was such a man as this. Could it be, that what she had first saw in his eyes was true? Could it be that this man would be the one who would save her from the sorrow that she had known as a child?

The answers to these questions she found by going to the King of the Realm. She humbly besought Him and asked if the light she saw that shone in the eyes of her secret desire was true. She found that it was the King's delight to answer her and give her a beautiful gift for her asking. She found that the King knew all about her sadness as a child and her sorrow at what she had seen in her home. He knew of her longing for a life full of beauty and love. So He sent her away with a rare gift; a gift of a deep and abiding faithfulness to the young man of her dreams and a sure knowledge that the young man would be faithful to her. What the King had shown her was that as long as she remained faithful to this young knight, and served him well in this life, that all her hopes and wishes and dreams would come true and that they, together, would be given the gift of happily ever after.

So she returned to the young knight and he made her his wife. All their desires were granted to them. They became servants to the King of the Realm, loved each other with a deep love, were given seven children to raise up to serve the King and lived happily ever after.

I know this story is true because it's my story... the story of my true love... my dear Husband who is turning 46 years old today. Happy Birthday to my one and only Knight in Shining Armour. I love you with all my heart forever...Miracles truly happen to people like me; for a miracle happened when God gave me you!