Читать книгу Love Poems for Dodie - Joe Callihan - Страница 6

On June 17, 1940, a wonderful event took place for the Nichols family. Born in Chicago, Illinois on this date, a special bundle of Love was sent from Heaven by God. My future beautiful wife, Dolores Nichols came into the world. Sadly, she did not get a chance to really know her mother. Her mother, Florence Nichols, died of cancer when Dolores was a young child, subsequently Dolores was raised by her father, Forrest, and older sister, Pat.

As a child she was outgoing and possessed the delightfully mischievous spirit of an Irish lass. I’m happy to say it stayed with her throughout her life. Spunky, blessed with a rare sense of humor, and growing more beautiful each day, Dolores was a lot for her father and sister to handle. In the mid 1950’s, her father moved to Tampa, Florida. Not long after he remarried, and had three more children by his new wife Helen. Being of a Catholic family, Pat and Dolores were sent in their developing years to a Catholic school for girls run by strict nuns; the kind devoted to seeing the girls under their care grew up to be devoted to serving only the “one,” “holy mother,” Catholic Church.

Not long after graduation from Sacred Heart Academy, Dolores got married. The guy seemed nice enough, but unfortunately had a little flaw. He believed he made a more beautiful woman than his wife. In the presence of others, he acted and appeared as a normal man. But he hid a secret life. In Dodie’s presence, he loved to dress and act as a woman. Dolores was confused by this. The nun’s had never told her about such deviant behavior, so she put up with it until she learned better. When she became aware how perverted this guy was, naturally that marriage ended in disappointment and divorce.

I should point out here that somewhere along the way my Dolores got the nick name of Dodie. She liked it, and would answer to either name. To her friends up north she was Dolores. By the time I got to know her, she was simply known to all her close local friends in the South as Dodie. But unfortunately, that time was still a long way off.

Both Dolores and her sister had moved back to Chicago and took jobs in the windy city. She enjoyed living there. Especially the times when she and her sister took in the best Chicago had to offer. But a few years later Dolores married again. This time her husband was from one of the Ukraine countries under Russian control. They moved to Maryland and Dolores got a job working as a beginning clerk in the state’s Department which dealt with runaway children.

Dolores was married to husband number two for a decade. But one day she discovered husband #2 had a very serious mental problem which far too many husbands seem to have. He had difficulty understanding what fidelity in marriage meant. He cared little for the vow of cleaving only to his wife. In other words, he was the typical kind of JERK who did not appreciate what a wonderful woman he had for a wife! When this became evident Dolores confronted him. She learned he was one of those idiots who believed a man had a right to as many concubines as he wanted. Vows made to his wife before God had no meaning or value to him.

I can’t imagine taking someone as wonderful, tender hearted, and beautiful as my Dodie; and treating her as if she were just another toy to provide for his physical pleasure. Sadly, there are men (and women) out there who permit demons to lead them around, blindly ignorant and uncaring about the feeling of others. Naturally, upon Dodie’s discovering his idea regarding the sanctity of marriage, it led to the end of his game and their marriage.

This being her second disappointment in marriage, Dolores vowed to God and herself she would never marry again. (God was thinking: “One day, I’m going to introduce you to a man named Joe – then you will know true love and happiness My daughter”). Meanwhile during the ten years of marriage, she had advanced rapidly on her job. At the request of her supervisor, she first attended Baltimore College. Then upon further request, she went on to Johns Hopkins University to pursue and attain her Degree in Management. She would work during the day, and drive back and forth to school at night. Her efforts were rewarded when she was appointed head over the department where she had first come to work as a clerk. Her boss was none other than the Governor of the state.

She was well respected, both on her job and also among others from different states holding the same position. In fact, once when they held their annual meeting in Las Vegas, consisting of the department heads from every state, Dolores was placed in charge of the event. She scheduled the speakers for each day and worked with them in determining the topic of discussion. She set up the times and meeting place for each speaker.

One of her favorite stories involved using the Governor’s yacht for a teaching seminar. It appears she was to conduct a teaching seminar regarding a program she had initiated, which had proven to be highly successful. The heads of like Departments from six other states were to be in attendance for this four day seminar she was to conduct.

Wishing to make this event spectacular, one they would long remember, she personally called her boss the Governor. Reaching him by phone, she asked directly if he would be using his state supplied yacht on the dates of her seminar. He checked and said he had no plans to do so. Hearing this, Dolores asked if he would mind furnishing the yacht for her seminar. When she told him there would be the heads from six other states in attendance, he agreed. The Governor even allowed for his stewards and cook to be on hand to do the meals for the guests. They spent four days cruising up and down the river. This event became the talk all over the country, as the six guests could not praise Dolores enough.

As they do, the years passed quickly. In 1995 at the age of 55, Dolores took an early retirement, moving back to Florida where her family members now lived. Her sister Pat had moved back some time ago. She now had closeness to her brothers Gene, and Tom, plus in addition to Pat, sisters Jackie, Beverly, and Ruth, along with a very dear sister-in-law Mary Ellen, Gene’s wife. She moved to and rented a waterfront condo in South Pasadena, Fl. which was owned by her sister, Pat.

It was during this time Pat, who had several years ago become born again, began witnessing to her about Gods’ wonderful gift to mankind, Jesus, His Son and our Savior. Pat told me Dodie had long ago given up being “Catholic.” Like me, Dodie had spent the earlier years of her life in bondage to that (sadly one of many) man-made and powerless religion. Also like me, Dodie did not become born again until late in life. Pat told me she would casually share the Word of God with Dodie by asking in curiosity, “Dodie, did you know God says in His Word …...” Dodie was totally unaware of the contents in the Word of God. Having been a good Catholic, she spent more time knowing her Catechism (which was filled with man’s doctrines and dogmas of empty religion), and little to no time in God’s Word. Little by little Pat was planting the seeds. Then one day she got to see the fruit come forth.

According to Dodie, due to Pat’s having created interest in God’s Word, she began studying it, then watching a select few televangelists. Then one day (I believe Dodie said it was in 1996) while watching Dr. D. J. Kennedy on his broadcast; responding to his message, she gave her heart to Jesus and asked to be born again of the Spirit of God. True to His Word God said to the prodigal: WELCOME HOME MY CHILD!

What a blessing this was to Dodie’s life. Having attended universities of “higher” (?) learning, Dodie had developed several strange ideas about God; the kind unfortunately promoted and shared by far too many in academia. Once when sister Pat was trying to witness to her about God, she received Dodie’s foolishly taught reply: “There are many different faiths and gods around the world. Each person has the right to pick the god and faith that best suits their individual taste.” No problem, because there are also many ways to find the god of your choice.

It seems as if many of those teaching “higher” education, had not a clue as to how wrong their simple minded explanations were. Sure, everyone has the free will to pick and choose the god they wish to believe in. However everyone, having been created in the image of the One True God, has within His breath (their immortal soul). It is not the breath of one of satan’s or man’s phony little gods. But the breath of the One True God! The God Who made us in His image, desires for us to grow up, and wisely come to know Him by using the gift of faith He gives each of us, and by the blood of His Son, Jesus. God desires for us not to come into a “religious” existence with Him; but rather to share in the sincere and loving, restored by the blood of Jesus, “Relationship” with Him each day of our life here on earth.

Get this! To EVERYONE is given a measure of faith, that they may wisely choose using it in helping them discover the One True God while living here on earth. Many choose discarding the faith they were given by God; choosing instead to accept faith in the lies and deceptions of satan. Others, seeking to create their own god in their image, choose one of the many confused and empty headed religions of man’s flesh and imagination.

Only those who diligently seek to use the faith they were given, come to know the truth about the True God; and receive reward for their proper use of the gift of faith. They come to know the reality that all have sinned, are unworthy to share the Loving relationship God created us to know, and cannot redeem their self, no matter how “good” they try to be on their own. They learn of repentance and the restoration made available by the suffering (in our place), and the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus (God’s Son and plan of salvation). They use the faith God has given, to choose Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In doing so, their sins are washed away, and relationship is restored to purity in God’s sight, they receive the Kingdom of God within as they become born again, by God’s Spirit – the Spirit of Truth.

I thank God both Dodie and I made this choice, by using wisely the gift of faith we had been given, even if it was late in our life. How Blessed we were in giving up religion for the Relationship our Savior came to restore between Father God and us. How wonderful it is to be led by the Spirit of Truth, instead of the spirit of man and his erroneous, blind, bigoted, powerless, and stupid “religious” beliefs. Constant brain washing attempts put many in bondage to their “religious beliefs” and the label of their religion.

Dodie revealed to me that in her younger years she had wanted to do the work of a missionary in foreign lands. I am happy to report that during her retirement years Dodie began going on mission trips with the well know and highly respected Tel-Evangelist, Marilyn Hickey. She went on trips to Russia, China, Israel, and Asia, including Indonesia and Miramar. Through those years her heart began to soften. On one of these mission trips she asked of her roommate to please pray for her Boaz to appear. I am so personally thankful to Mrs. Hickey and her daughter Sara, for making those trips available for Dodie and others.

I also recently learned from one of the ladies who attends the church were Dodie had once attended, that she had asked her to pray God would provide for her a good a Christian husband. At this point I was but a few years away. Hold on Dodie! I’m out there! I need and will cherish you for the rest of my life and if God permits, beyond. I’ll stop here, and next will give you my story. Then we will continue with the meat of this book, Our Love Story, interspaced with a few of the many Love Poems written for Dodie in the course of our romance.