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Topic: Diet - deadline is 8-9-12 9:59 am NY time. (08/02/12)
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TITLE: God Always Has a Plan | Previous Challenge Entry
By Sandra Eastridge
08/09/12 -
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“Excuse me?” The petite woman in front of him turned and caught Dean completely off guard. It was Camara Green.
“Hello Dean,” she smiled.
He gulped nearly choking on his tongue. Get hold of yourself, Canon. You’re not in high school anymore. But seeing her had brought back old feelings. In their little Texas town each kept to his own kind. She lived in town, his family owned a cattle ranch - they could go to the same church, shop in the same stores and gather at the same community functions but they must not pair up as couples. It simply was not acceptable and that had prevented him from ever telling her how he felt. He left the little building deep in thought. What had just happened? Did she feel it too? She must have because she was waiting for him by his truck.
Placing her hands on her hips she said, “Dean Canon, I’m tired of waiting for you to declare yourself. Didn’t it ever occur to you that I’m in love with you?”
“What?”
“I’ve loved you since you were captain of the football team and I was head cheer leader. The only reason I joined the squad was to be near you.”
Dean could not believe it. All these years loving her and not knowing she felt the same way . . . well enough time had been lost. He dropped to his knee right there in the parking lot. “Yes, I love you. Will you marry me?”
Now it was her turn, “What?”
“I mean it. I want to marry you . . . tonight.”
She gave him the only answer she had, “Yes!”
He took her in his arms and kissed her right in front of everybody. “Now, let the town gossip about that.”
That evening they were seated at a secluded hide away in the next town. There was so much they wanted to say but mostly they held hands and looked into each other’s eyes. The plan was to have a nice dinner then drive to Reno and get married. The waiter came, she ordered a vegetable plate, he ordered a steak . . . and that’s when their plan fell apart.
Tears spilled from Cammy’s eyes. “This isn’t going to work, Dean. “I should have realized it but I wanted to be with you so badly that I just didn’t think it through.” She grabbed her purse and ran for the door.
He ran after her. “I don’t understand. What’s wrong? Why won’t it work?”
“Tell me this. If we marry will you continue to work on your father’s cattle ranch?”
“Well sure, I love ranching. It’s in my blood.”
“That’s what I thought. Then it will never work out between us because I’m a vegan.”
“A what?”
“A vegan. I live on a diet of vegetables only. I don’t even eat eggs! I could never live on a ranch that sold cattle for slaughter just like I couldn’t live with a man that ate meat, no matter how much I loved him.”
They rode home in silence, each with a broken heart. “Why, God?” Was the question they both hurled at heaven.
Some months later a missionary from India came to the little Texas town and as God worked his plan both Dean and Camara felt drawn to attend the meeting. The missionary talked about the thousands of starving people that let their cattle roam free because of their belief in reincarnation. He spoke of the need for workers to tell them about Jesus.
Dean’s heart was stirred. Tonight God’s plan for his life became clear. Cammy was already a vegan. Eating a meat free diet would not be a problem for her and he resolved that giving up meat to gain the woman he loved and live in God’s favor was a small sacrifice compared to all he would gain.
At the close of the service the missionary called for others to join him in his ministry to the Indian people. Dean and Camara answered the call and found themselves waiting to speak with the missionary. Dean reached for Cammy’s hand. “I thought God was closing the door on a future with you but tonight I realized he wasn’t shutting the door but opening it.
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