The Comforting Trumpet
-A Love Story-
by Robert Austin
I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.
Revelation 1:10
I am writing this reminiscence for the benefit of my children, so that they may know of the meeting of their parents, my friends who may be curious as to the founding of my marriage, and to honor, and bring glory to God.
As I grew into adulthood, the one dimension which was missing from my life was that of a soulmate, or partner. I never went steady in high school, and much to my oldest daughter's amazement, didn't even attend my Senior Prom (no one asked me!). This was a problem for me because I wasn't meant for the single life. In fact, Iwas ready to settle down in the 7th grade. But it was not meant to be. Throughout college and young adult life, no matter how hard I tried, no woman I met was right for me.
During February of 1973, I had completed pilot training in the U.S. Air Force, and was in Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, attending C-130 transition school. Up to this point, God had given me constant direction and had carried me, but still, I was a very lonesome young man, having never been able to share any of the joys of my life with a girl friend, and the thought of traveling 12,000 miles from family and friends to Southeast Asia wasn't helping the matter.
One Saturday afternoon, after a series of strenuous, early morning (4 AM) simulators, I laid on my bed in my B.O.Q. room, fatigued. I drifted off to sleep wondering about my lot in life and why it seemed that God had forgotten about me.
Suddenly, for an interminable length of time, my mind was jolted by consecutive, multi-pitched, oscillating. trumpet blasts. I immediately awoke with a feeling of peace, totally comforted. I immediately knew three things:
1) It was the Lord speaking to me
2) I didn't have to worry anymore
3) I would find my life's partner before too long
The hectic schedule of training and moving to Taiwan made me forget the experience for a while. But, on June 6, 1973, a series of incidents occurred.
First, a pair of pants that I had always wanted, but was too cheap to buy went on sale for one day only, so I bought them. Later that day, wearing those pants, I was walking down a sun baked street in Taichung, Taiwan, when the sun suddenly disappeared, and I was caught in a downpour of rain. I started running to cover, and as I did, the zipper in the new pants broke open. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a tailor shop down a side street and I ran to it, to get my pants fixed while it rained. While the pants were being repaired, I saw my roommate, Roy Wadekamper, walking down the street, and I called to him. We started talking, and soon my pants were fixed. It was during this time that President Nixon was negotiating with mainland China, and we discussed this topic of the day. After I had said something positive about Nixon, I found myself face to face with a skinny Chinese girl named Sue, who had been eavesdropping on our conversation, and disagreeing with most of what I had said, was looking for a fight. After talking to her for about an hour, I remembered the trumpets in Little Rock and knew that this was the girl I was to marry, and I told her. She told me that I was crazy - she would never marry an American, particularly a Lieutenant! On the way back to the air base I told my roommate that Sue was the girl I was going to marry. He reserved comment.
My heartbreak came in November of that year. CCK Air Base was closing and my squadron moved to the Phillippines. After continually being rejected in my offers of marriage, I had to state the fact to Sue - either we got married, or we would never see each other again, ever! She told me that her family thought marrying me would be a mistake. Buddha (through the priests) thought marrying me would be a mistake. She said she thought it would be a mistake, and by the way, "Have a nice trip!"
I went to the Phillipines wondering why God had apparently misled me, or at the least, I had misinterpreted such obvious road signs.
Then, on day in December 1973 I received a phone call in my room because of a series of events.
First, Sue started thinking that maybe I was the right guy for her. Then, her father told her that since he was Japanese and married a Chinese that maybe it would be right for her to marry a foreigner. Then, her sisters decided, for some reason, that I wasn't so bad, and a visit to the Buddhist Temple confirmed that I was the right guy, after all (God does work through pagan religions when necessary). After deciding that she wanted to marry me, but knew I had moved for good, she by coincidence, saw a fellow from my squadron who was visiting Taiwan, walking down the street. He gave her my phone number and told her to call me.
Fifteen years later God is still showing me that Sue was the girl selected for me, and we rejoiced together when the Lord became her Savior, also.
Three things I have learned, and continue to use in life that I learned through this experience of hearing the voice of God and ultimately getting married:
1) When God speaks to you, you know it is Him, and you are totally comforted
2) Do as God tells you, and trust in Him
3) Be patient - God works at His pace, not yours - and you need to get all the instructions
Whenever I lose patience with Sue, I remember that she was my promised gift from God, and I cherish her always!
We should all remember, cherish, and rejoice about our many gifts from God.
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