August 1975

For some reason, I found myself wondering about what special events in history might have occurred on this day, the first of August.   So, a quick look online revealed that in 527, Justinian I become the sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire.  That’s pretty interesting right?  Although, I must admit that I had never heard of the guy.  A few centuries later in 1774, Joseph Priestley, an English theologian, chemist and author discovered oxygen by isolating it in its gaseous state.  Humm… that kind of sounds familiar…

But more in tune to my lifetime and memory was in 1975, when our (somewhat) hometown Golden State Warriors beat the Washington Bullets (4 - 0) to win the NBA Finals.  I never was a big follower of professional basketball, but I do remember some of the Warriors power years before the seemed to have fallen apart and finally resurged in recent years.

August 1, 1975 fell on a Friday and while I do not remember any specific events, I know that I must have woken up to the sight of my lovely new bride laying at my side in the back room of our older two bedroom apartment on Montgomery Drive, right around the corner from Howarth Park and down the street from her parents’ home on top of the hill behind the park.

Piper was working as a teacher at the First Presbyterian Church Preschool while I was employed at the old Sears store in downtown Santa Rosa.  If I remember correctly, Friday was a shorter day schedule for her, but she also had to go in earlier as well.

Piper wasn’t always the bright-eyed, bouncy morning girl that she became in later years… okay, maybe “bouncy and bright-eyed” is pushing it a little bit!  But she did become more of a morning person through the years!  (and I have her roommate in college to partially thank for that!)  Being as I always tended to awaken before she did, I most likely gently shook her shoulder and informed her that it was time to get up.

From there it was our new routine of showering, dressing, getting some Bible time in, eating and on the way out, snatching a kiss at the front door.  Then we’d hold hands as we walked out to the carport where we’d inevitably snatch another quick hug and kiss, before she reluctantly got in her little red woody Pinto wagon and went her way and I (just as reluctantly) slid down into my newly painted blue MG and went mine!

August of 1975 was a good year for us!  We had been married about three weeks and besides my full-time position in the Hardware Department at Sears, I had recently been asked to come on part-time staff at our church as the Junior High Youth Minister.  Our new life together was definitely looking quite blissful!  Piper was enjoying her teaching job and was very well liked by her students!  Without exaggerating, I would have to say that approximately ¼ of the Christmas decorations that I put on the tree this year were from the gifts that her students gave her during her three years at the school.

I had worked part-time at Sears while attending Junior College and then was asked to return as a full-time employee after our time at Chico State.  So, by then I had been in that particular position for over a year and was pretty knowledgeable and seen as one of the go-to guys in Hardware as well as in most of the other departments located in the basement of that small old Sears “B” Store.

Piper and I were pretty content, deeply in love and ready to tackle the world!  Besides our secular jobs, our life pretty much centered around church!  If we weren’t teaching our classes and having a blast with our students… we weren’t that much older than that first group of youth… we were playing our instruments and singing on many a Sunday Morning or during special services.  It felt like we were one big extended family.  And seemed as if we just about knew everyone and everyone knew Jim and Piper!

We had decided early on in our dating days that we were going to follow the leading of God for our lives, to GO wherever He called us to GO and to DO whatever He instructed us to DO.  If I had a scripture to best sum up that time in our lives, it would have to be from the first three verses of Psalm 23 where we would have said with David that:

“The Lord is our best friend and our shepherd. We always have more than enough.  He offers a resting place for us in His luxurious love. His tracks take us to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.  That’s where He restores and revives our lives. He opens before us pathways to God’s pleasure and leads us along in His footsteps of righteousness so that we can bring honor to His name.” (The Passion Translation – personalized)

Today, as I look back some 45 years to that day and time, I can honestly say that through the ups and downs of life, we did a pretty good job of sticking to our original decision or CHOICE made during our dating days.  Since Piper’s passing almost two years ago now, I never fail but to smile and thank the Lord for the good times Piper and I had in our seeking to serve Him. 

And even though there are many rough nights (like last night) where I am tempted to throw in the towel and cry over my pain that I feel with her absence from my side, I almost immediately am reminded of the thought of the Lord greeting my Piper at those pearly gates, giving her a smile and a hug and saying: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:21 MKJV)

So, what more can I say!  Would I do it all over again, knowing what I know now?  Without a second thought!  She may be gone from me, but she is present with the Father and the Son, and when I think of that I am quickly taken back to “His oasis of peace and the quiet brook of bliss.  For, that’s where He restores and revives my life!”

And that my friends, is what I am also believing for each of you as well!  Have a blessed weekend!