Way back in the 1900s (the 70s, that is), a TV show called “Fantasy Island” was popular.
Once a week, a handful of men and women traveled to a tropical isle where Mr. Roarke and Tattoo awaited to make their secret dreams come true.
My older sister, a close friend, and I were teenagers at the time. We tuned in for every episode. One of their fantasies was to skydive, while the others were to go white water rafting. Knowing anything was possible on “Fantasy Island,” my secret dream was to marry one of the most popular guys at Belfry High School: Tommy Reed. He had a big personality, long hair with lamb chop sideburns, and made my heart race.
I don’t think my sister or my friend realized their dreams, but as only the Lord—not Mr. Roarke—could work, I DID marry Tommy Reed. It was 45 years ago this week!
Just after my 18th birthday, my beloved and I raced to Virginia to tie the knot. We had no money, no rings and no clue, but pledged it all to each other in the belfry of the Wise County courthouse that day. The bride wore a green velvet shirt, Chic jeans, a varsity jacket and pink pop-bottle glasses.
It hasn’t been all rainbows and unicorns at the Reed household, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. We are a testimony of the faithfulness of the Lord. Echoing David’s words in Psalm 8:4, I am amazed at the mindfulness and kindness of our Heavenly Father.
At the start, we lived in a trailer with plastic on the windows and rarely had heat in the winter because the gas line froze. We survived on love, Tator Tots and chicken noodle soup. Thirty-three-cent boil-in-the-bag roast beef and gravy packs and instant rice became a gourmet meal. (Instant rice was one of two things I could make back then.)
These days, we laugh wondering what young Tommy and Dawn would think of where we are now.
After serving in our home church for years, God called my beloved to full-time ministry. We didn’t see that coming. He has been a pastor now for over 27 years. (I never pictured myself being a pastor’s wife, either.) Over the decades, we have served locally and in the state, and we have been to other countries on mission trips. We have two grown children who live away. In our years together, we have lived below the poverty level at times and high on the hog at other times. God has met our every need.
The vows we said in the courthouse were true: “For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.” Better or worse? Real stuff/daily life, especially raising kids. Richer or poorer? Been there. In sickness and in health? The Lord has walked us through mini strokes, a hip replacement, diabetes and GERD.
I said it hasn’t been all rainbows. Unfortunately, there has to be rain before the rainbow appears. We have weathered many a storm over the last 45 years (some hurricanes), but the Lord has gotten us through each one. He has been our glue. His Word has been our map.
The hair and big sideburns are gone. Now my beloved sports a clean-shaven head and a long beard with lots of gray. (He’s even better looking now!)
Jeremiah 29:11 was always in the Bible. Surely, I knew it as a teenager, but oh, how dear it is to me now. The Lord had a plan for me. He had plans to prosper me and not to harm me; plans to give me hope and a future. And that future was with my beloved: Tommy Reed.