Rev. Ray and Pat Amos
Song of Solomon 2:10
“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
It was the seventh grade and there was a new girl at school, she was pretty, and sitting in front of me. Today that girl and I celebrate our 54th wedding anniversary. We were High School sweethearts. In Government class the pencil sharpener was behind the map. It was planned providence: our pencils always needed sharpening at the same time.
I worked at a Drug Store during high school. The highlight of my career as a Soda-jerk was the day that she and her friend came in and sat down at the counter. She was so shy that she would hardly talk. That didn’t matter, I had the prettiest girl in the world sitting there. On Saturdays her family came to town to shop. I knew the time they would be driving by the drug store, so I would always go out and wash the store windows (every Saturday). My boss bragged on my dedication to cleaning the windows. I was really watching for Pat to go by. One glimpse of her made my heart beat faster; it still does.
The 1969 Graduation came too soon. It was a happy, sad, time. I think most of us realized that we had no clear path into our future. The war in Vietnam was a dark cloud hanging over every high school graduation in those days, and a threat to every dream we had. The summer came and in September I was on my way to basic training in the Air Force.
On June 19, 1971, at Shady Grove Church, Poplar Hill, Virginia, I took the hand of that beautiful girl who sat in front of me in the seventh grade; and I still can’t hold it enough. We had less than a hundred dollars to return to South Dakota from Virginia, an old worn (borrowed) Rambler Nash; and the radio kept playing, “I’ve Got a Never Ending Love for You.”
So, we set off, and the places we have been! Two young people who could see no further into our future than the beam of our headlights in the night. We grew tired of the tune of the song, but we will never be tired of the words, “I’ve got a never ending love for you.”
The Bible says that Love never fails, and I believe it more every day because we have lived it. The three of us started out together. We walked out of Shady Grove Church, Pat and I holding hands with each other, and holding hands with God.
We are blessed with a great family, so many wonderful friends, and the fingerprints of God all over our life together.
“Hand in hand we walk each day
Hand in hand along the way
Walking thus we cannot stray
Hand in hand with Jesus.”
Grace and Peace, Rev Ray
