Once upon a time, after I had served as a missionary in the U.S., the Virgin Islands and Mexico, I flew from my home in California to a conference where I would interview participants from all over the world. Our first morning in Washington, D.C., we introduced ourselves around the conference room table. I was interested to see an American man I had heard of, Ed Neibling, who was serving in Asia. That night, at a Chinese restaurant, as we all read the message from our fortune cookies aloud, he and I had the same one: “You will be deeply loved”!

And every day at the conference, when I heard his wise comments, I was greatly intrigued! We began to walk together through the hotel hallways to our meetings; he took my little leather briefcase and carried it for me. We spoke of a writer we both admired. I made sure to tell him about my one visit to Asia. I liked the cute way he complimented my teammate, Lori, and me. Sparks were flying — at least from my side — when I sat next to him on a group outing.

Until one day, the conference had to end, and he would go back to the Philippines, and I would go back to California. He had said I should send him the latest book of the author we both admired but hadn’t given me his address. I left the conference without knowing if anything would happen, but I began telling people about him. I looked up the Philippines in the encyclopedia and played romantic songs on the piano.

And because of this, I was praying. I didn’t know he was praying, too. Long night hours, sitting on the fence by the pasture at his parents’ farm in Kansas, where he had gone to visit before going back overseas, he prayed about me, while I visited my parents in Maryland and prayed about him.

And because of this, before he flew back across the Pacific, he tried to call me from the San Francisco airport, but I was not at home. He dropped a letter, addressed to me at my office, in the airport mailbox. His letter said something heart-stopping: Meeting me had been the highlight of the conference, and would I like to stay in touch?

I would! Letters flew back and forth across the Pacific. Several months later, he came to the U.S. to visit me for three weeks, staying with a friend, but he stayed and stayed …

Until finally, six months after he arrived, Ed and I were married, and I moved to the Philippines, too! Now it’s been 40 years together — some hard, some much better. How we love our three wonderful children! Ed and I are still praying and growing and serving God together. I’m still living on his compliments.

And ever since our wedding September 21, 1986, I’ve been learning more about God’s gift of this man to me. A quiet, influential leader. Intelligent, sensitive, sometimes catching-me-off-guard-humorous. Wise with numbers and words, he’s my careful financial protector and editor par excellence. He teaches biblical truth to me and others with the clarity of his spiritual gift. Music lover. Sports lover. Jesus lover. Judy lover. How thankful I am that the Lord saved this man I needed, for me!

And, continually learning more about love, grace, and each other,

we are living happily ever after.

The End

P.S. Enjoy more surprising parts of the story in Fortune Cookies, a Conference, and a Romance.

---

If you haven’t discovered life in Christ, don’t hesitate to check it out. Life is too short to miss His love and perfect plan for you. Read About “The Nearness of God” or see everyperson.com for more information. You can also read my story of coming to faith in Christ in: How My Song Began.