terry loves ginger
EST 1993
this is a love story.
everyone loves a good love story, right? it's not anything you'll find in a storybook, but it's the whirlwind romance that brought me to life (literally), so i'd say that's a pretty darn good one.
let's begin at the beginning: follow the heart back to early 1993 before they were even on each other's radars.
1993
marysville
WASHINGTON
terry was twenty-five years old in 1993, working as a tool maker and repairer at boeing. he had attended bellingham vocational technical school from 1986 to 1988. he moved to bellingham for four months before deciding he didn't like living on his own and moving back home to marysville, making the hour long commute back and forth to school every day. in 1993 he continued to pay rent for his bedroom at his parents' house. he was into heavy metal, cars (specifically mustangs, which he had already owned three of by '93), and his faith. he knew he wanted to be married, but he hadn't had anyone particular in mind…
portland
OREGON
ginger turned twenty in 1993 and worked as a level a pharmacy tech at hilton pharmacy during the summertime. she had been attending multnomah bible college since september of 1992, and planned to go back the following year. her reasoning? well, of course to continue pursuing her degree, but also because there were only two boys to marry back home and neither one of them had even remote potential for being good husband material. one of the boys? you guessed it: terry. as ginger later put it herself, she "would never go out with him because he had long hair. not only that, but he obviously couldn’t love the Lord with his hair like that!"
"I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY A GUY WHOSE HAIR IS LONGER THAN MINE!"
how it all began
NO WAY TO OKAY
terry and ginger grew up in the same church and attended the same high school, so they were both aware of each other's existence. ginger's dad used to tease her about him when she was a kid, to which she always moaned, "i'm not gonna marry terry!" so while it wasn't technically when they met, their story began on may 21, 1993, when a singles group was starting at their church, and they were both there. terry's left thinking ginger had been staring at him the whole night (which she wasn’t, as she emphatically states in any telling of this story). he thought she was pretty and had been wanting to ask her out.
on may 27, 1993, terry worked up the nerve to call ginger from work during his lunch break around seven pm. thunder was crashing outside and the speed of the lightning flashes matched his heart rate. ginger had graduated high school in the same class as his sister, and looking back he remembers being specifically worried that he would introduce himself as "terry, jessie's sister."
he didn't. she said yes.
to be honest, it was something more along the lines of:
"i guess i should give the guy a chance."
but terry didn't know that at the time, so we'll let 1993 terry continue to believe she really wanted to go out with him.
the first few dates
MAY 1993
the next saturday, may 29, saw their first date to the keg for dinner followed by arcade games and mini golf at a place called games. at the end of the night terry asked if ginger would like to go out again, and she said yes, realizing that she had misjudged him completely as someone who didn't really care about God when really he did. two days later on may 31 they went to the monroe race track to watch the car races.
"by the end of our second date that weekend i knew i wanted to marry him. but he told me later that he knew that first night he wanted to marry me."
their being destined for each other was really confirmed when one night they were talking on the couch at ginger's parents’ house and asked what each other was looking for in a spouse; they described each other.
how he asked
AUGUST 1, 1993
after just two months of dating, terry proposed on august 1, 1993, at kayak point on the beach, sitting on a blanket and drinking sparkling raspberry juice from plastic goblets. ginger says that she doesn’t remember exactly what he said because the whole night she was praying that if he didn’t propose to her that night, that she’d still be happy. at sunset he had them sit on a log and said that he knew that God had brought them together and that he loved her very much. then he got on his knees and opened the ring box and asked ginger if she’d marry him.
she said yes right away and hugged him. after she had the ring on her finger he took out his bible and read to her proverbs 18:22: "he who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord." she hugged him and kissed him, and then they prayed and dedicated themselves and their future marriage to the Lord.
i do + me too
DECEMBER 18, 1993
four months later, in a whirlwind of planning and preparing (including a trip back to portland to pick up the items left behind by the freshman who wouldn't be marrying any of the boys back at home, and a crash on thanksgiving morning involving terry's beloved mustang which he was lending to ginger...) terry and ginger were married on december 18, 1993 in a small ceremony at their church.
charge to the groom
terry, you have given a ring of gold as a symbol of your love and commitment to ginger to be her husband that she needs. i charge you to love her as yourself. to treat her with kindness. to constantly love her so she may have such confidence in your commitment to her that she will be able to respond to you as the woman inside her needs and wants to. Her choosing you to be her husband is a crown to your manhood. she is giving you herself, no greater gift can she give. cherish it and love her as yourself with the never ending love your ring promises.
charge to the bride
ginger, you too gave a ring of gold to be a symbol of your love and commitment to terry. i charge you to love and respect your husband. let him be the husband he needs to be. let him know that you hold him up in the highest respect, never belittle him or remind hi of mistakes or failure. his desire to be a husband to you is the crowning glory of your womanhood. he can give you no greater gift than to accept the responsibility of being your husband. love and respect him with the same unending quality that is symbolized by your ring.
"I WILL BE HERE" BY STEVEN CURTIS CHAMPAN
performed by bruce mcdonald