Boswell, LaVenia (23 page)

            He cleared his throat several times, which they knew was a habit when he was nervous or upset.

            “Jenny, I don’t have the confidence you, and now I discover your mother has in this God of yours, but you are both welcome to your own experiences and beliefs.  I won’t say anything negative or demeaning about your faith to either of you as long as you keep him out of my face.” 

            He paused and then asked, “Deal?”   

            “Sure Dad,” Jenny answered a bit sad, but added, “He’ll make Himself known to you too one day.  Mom and me will pray and pray until that happens.  Jason will too.”   

            “Well, kiddo, don’t hold your breath,” then turning to smile at her he added, “really, do not hold your breath on account of your old dad.”   

            Not wanting to stretch their emotions too much she gave them a kiss each and bounced off to get ready for bed.  She had to shower, get in her jammies and pull the covers up before placing her late night call to Jason. 

            Tonight she was thrilled at being able to tell him about her mom returning to God.  That was a complete surprise!  God is so good!

15 – A time of preparation

Jenny had been sharing with her mom over their coffee and bagel together, about Father Jose’s plans for her RCIA, baptism and the wedding.    

            Jason’s father called and asked when she could meet for their two hour teaching session.  She was helping her mom with the clothes - washing, drying, ironing but her mom insisted she go for her class instead.     

            First she had to decide what to wear, it was Christian studies after all, she realized with some nervousness.    

            Jason met her at her car when she arrived for her class with his dad.  He was surprised when he saw her.  Jenny had on one of the dresses he’d bought her for church and she had a scarf covering her head, it matched the outfit and was lovely.  He hadn’t considered a scarf for her Sunday Masses.   

            “Well, my beloved husband-to-be, how do you like?” she asked, turning around for him.  Upon seeing his face she whispered, “Did I do wrong?  Jas, tell me, please.”   

            “Oh, Jenny, my Jenny, you did more right than I knew how to tell you.  You are so pretty and you make a beautiful Christian lady.”  His eyes twinkled and she breathed again, realizing she had simply knocked the shoes off his feet with her choices.  Huh, she snorted with pleasure, she can do something right.   

            His dad was as pleasantly surprised as Jason had been.  Mister Zonelli even said, “Jennifer, you are absolutely radiant today.  We are very proud of you.”  Motioning to her scarf he said, “You don’t have to wear that for our classes, you know.”   

            Jenny smiled and answered, “Well sir, I prayed and asked God if I was to wear the covering for any of my teaching classes and He said yes.  So, if you don’t mind, I’ll keep it on while you’re instructing me, okay?  He showed me in the Bible that it was for church meetings, prayer and teaching sessions.  I have to do what He tells me.”  

            “Hum, quite right, young lady, quite right!” he responded feeling a little ashamed that she understood that so easily and he hadn’t considered the covering as needed outside of the sanctuary – until now.  His right brow rose up as he contemplated the Lord’s working so readily with this lovely young woman, a woman soon to be his daughter-in-law.  They had worried over her lack of faith for a long, long time.  She had been in their prayers, per Jason’s request for about three years now.    

            Edward smiled as he escorted her to his den, bypassing the kitchen and family room that had people there talking and socializing with his wife.  It was one of her committee meetings, if he remembered correctly.  

            “Have a seat, Jennifer,” he indicated a large overstuffed chair that was made of thick brocade fabric in a hunter’s motif.  He took a seat in the matching chair.  Dragging his chair he adjusted it so they would be facing each other with a small table between them.     

            “You can call me Jenny or Jen for short, if you like.  People usually reserve the Jennifer for when I’m in some sort of trouble.”   

            “Thank you my dear, but I absolutely adore the name and unless it offends you terribly, may I still call you Jennifer?” he asked with such a genuine smile she didn’t feel insulted at all.  Proper, she thought, just like her Jas, huh, Jason, nah, Jas.  

            She nodded and he smiled his thanks in return.  Handing her a packet of literature and a ring bound notebook with only a few sheets in it, he introduced her to the beginning of RCIA class, meaning Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.    

            Mister Edward Zonelli gave her the reading assignment for two classes.  He went over the material with her in one hour and then left to bring them refreshments, which he insisted upon. 

            “Besides,” he remarked with a sly grin just like Jason’s, “my son is waiting in the wings to see how you are handling it so far.  I’ll bring us back a pitcher of iced tea and some cucumber sandwiches that I will snitch from Martha’s serving tray for her guests.”  He left.   

            Jenny had already been scanning the reading and found it fascinating. She realized she was going to learn a great deal about the faith she knew was her’s.  She would have to take it one step at a time though.  That’s what God had impressed upon her, not to go too far ahead, but to walk as He led her, step by step, day by day.   

            Jason slid through the door, having quietly taken several pictures of her and his dad, on her first day of RCIA instruction.  He flashed a loving smile before he bent to kiss her forehead.  “Ah, Jen, you look so beautiful sitting there, reading the Bible and dressed so nice and even with your prayer covering on.  It’s a dream come true, Sweetheart.”

            Looking up at him she said, “You called my scarf a prayer covering?  I haven’t heard that term used before, but that is the most correct I believe.  It’s for covering at any time I’m praying or studying I think.  Lots of angels are looking on I bet too, remembering that some of them rebelled and fell.  Eve fell, kind of.  Now, like our Mother Mary, I chose obedience to His perfect will no matter what others think.”    

            Jason squatted beside her chair and asked, “Where did you get all that from, my love?  Have you been listening to television preachers?  That was, well, it’s pretty heady stuff.”    

            “It’s just all sort’a clicked into place as I’ve been reading that First Corinthian Book in the New Testament you showed me.  Saint Paul was a pretty clear teacher, he didn’t tolerate no wobbling, so why do so many,” then she whispered, “even some Catholics, want to do things that are the opposite of what he taught is the right way?”  Shaking her head she admitted, “Boggles my mind.”   

            Jason simply stared at her in happy bewilderment.  He excused himself and hurried to share with his dad what he discovered she’d already comprehended about serving God, so soon.  It was startling how fast she was growing in knowledge and faith.   

            Edward admitted, “Son, she’s already surprised me too.  Are you sure God wants you to marry her?  You might be marrying a woman called to be a nun and her not know it.  Or, she could be a mystic in the making?”     

            The thought scared Jason for a short while.  He didn’t want to lose her.  Finally he tempered his racing heart and went to his room, kneeled down and prayed, “Father, thank you so much for Jenny and opening her eyes to You.  You know I love her with all my heart, but Father if you have claimed her for a different calling than to be my wife, give me the strength to offer her to You without coveting your gift.  Help me to know, Lord, please.”  After a short while he knew what he had to do to clarify God’s will.   

            Jenny was finishing her studies.  She and Edward were praying together when Jason paused at the door, waiting.  As soon as their prayer was finished he rushed to Jenny, knelt beside her chair and asked before she could get up, “Jenny, I need to ask you something very serious.  This is really important so I want you to think about it and pray about it before you answer me, okay?”    

            “Sure, Jason.”  She saw he was agitated but a feeling of peace flowed over her.    

            With a silent prayer of offering up to God he asked, “Jenny, do you think it might be possible that God has called you to Him in another way other than a calling of marriage to me?  Maybe he wants you to be a nun or religious sister?  Pray about it first!” he requested, his face filled with consternation and yet trying to bring peace back to his heart and soul while he waited.   

            Jenny bowed her head again and prayed silently.  When Jason managed to open his eyes and look at her, she was looking back at him and beaming with joy.      

            “Jason, you are to be my husband.  You are mine, God’s love gift to me.  God wants us to have a family, I couldn’t tell how big but we’ll have more than three children.  And, He will fill our lives with so many blessings we can’t begin to comprehend the joy.  But, we will have our work cut out for us.  The sharing of God with others won’t always be easy, but it will be filled with love and excitement.  We will have each other and the Lord.  That’s what I saw,” she said in awe of what the Lord had just revealed to her.  “Oh, Jas, He loves us so much!”   

            Jason grabbed her and held on tight as she cried and he fought the tears too.  God was an awesome God!   

            Edward had stayed at the door, praying with his son as Jennifer sought God’s perfect will for her life.  He had no doubt of what she said would be completely true.  His own eyes grew glassy and he grabbed his handkerchief as he left them together, thanking God for His love toward them.  Never had he ever heard of a more righteous couple being married.  He didn’t know of any of the Saints who had been blessed with such spouses as these two were going to be blessed with.  His Martha was a treasure that he adored, but as wonderful and saintly as she was, Jennifer seemed a whole new kind of female.     

            “My word!” Edward exclaimed before he could stop himself.  Turning to go find his Martha he murmured aloud, “What will their children be like?!  Lord, help me to be a good grandfather and help these precious souls in their journey together.  With so much goodness, I know the devil will be very angry.  Protect them, dear Father, grant them extra graces to endure and come out triumphant for Your glory.”

            Jason and Jennifer finally completed the FOCCUS program which for them consisted of part one and then part two.  The second part was a discussion with a facilitator who read their individual self-diagnostic written instruments they had completed in part one.  The facilitator’s job is to spot significant potential problems the couple may face and go over them and hopefully help the couple themselves resolve any issues.   

            The problems they had initially solved was Jennifer’s lack of faith, which God corrected when Jenny reached out to Him.  Another was  her original attitude on procreation and the right to life concept.  These had dramatically changed as well.  It ended with the facilitator amazed at all the self-corrections and adjustments the couple had encountered in less than a month.   

            “Well,” Jason asked, “is there
any
potential problem we need to discuss now?”   

            The man looked at Jason and smiled, “Son, I do believe you and Jennifer should have an exceptionally well adjusted marriage, as long as you both cling to the faith you both have today.”   

            That pleased them all.   

            That Saturday the Pre-Cana program began for Jason and Jennifer.  It is a one-day marriage preparation class.     

            They were both pleased to see sixteen other couples attending.  Some had not entered the FOCCUS program yet, but Jason and Jennifer calmed their fears stating it was an awesome event and they would learn a lot about themselves and felt it well worth any effort needed to complete.   

            The meeting today began with prayer, as most all the meetings they’d attended did.  An older couple gave a presentation on the Sacrament of Marriage.  They had been married for over fifty years and seemed as in love today as they declared they’d always been.  It encouraged the others.