Young Love, A Prayer and a Cracker Jack Box

Ladies, do you remember when you were in middle school, how much time you and your girlfriends put into dreaming and predicting who your future boyfriend might someday be? I certainly do. I can remember spending countless hours playing games with folded paper (paper Fortune Tellers) where we would write the names of different boys we liked, as a fun way to predict who we might end up with. My friends and I would hold those paper Fortune Tellers, pick numbers, and move them in ways that would eventually tell us who our future boyfriend was supposed to be. We never really believed the predictions but it was fun nonetheless.

Luckily, I eventually landed a real boyfriend in middle school and no longer needed the Fortune Teller Game. It was October 1985 when Scott asked me to be his girlfriend and I was head over heels about him. Our dating back then consisted of weekends with groups of friends hanging out at the movies or in one friend or another’s basement, countless hours on the telephone after school, holding hands in the hallway as he walked me to my class, and finally sharing a science book with a brown-paper-bag book cover on it.

Let me explain that last one—Scott and I both had the same science teacher but our class time was separated by one hour. He had science first, so he would write a little note to me on it while he was in class, and then after class, he would pass the book to me as he was leaving and I was headed into class. I would then write a note back to him for the following day. This was a fun and flirty way we would communicate with one another.  Each day I waited in anticipation as to what he would write.

One day, about 3 months into dating, (Which was an ETERNITY in 8th-grade dating), I got “our” science book from him and sat down in class. Immediately I scanned the book to see what he had written. This time, he wrote “I Love You, Kerry! —Scott”

BE STILL MY HEART!!!!!!!

The “L” word!!! We had never said that before in any capacity and my 8th-grade girl brain was exploding. I was soooo excited! My heart was pounding and I was swooning throughout the rest of that class. I wondered, “Does this mean he truly loves me?” OR “Did he just write this but not really mean it?” What was a girl to do?

For days, I discussed this topic with friends and wondered, “Is this real love?” (Real enough for 8th grade, anyways.😜) None of us knew for sure.

Eventually, one night I was with my best friend Laura and of course, we were discussing this dilemma of whether Scott really loved me. She and I had a major discussion about it but still had no conclusive answer. We were about to share a box of Cracker Jack and right before we opened it, I came up with an idea. I said, “Laura, let’s say a prayer right here and now that if Scott loves me the prize in this Cracker Jack box will have something to do with love.” We both put our heads down and I said a quick prayer to God asking Him this question: “Dear God- If Scott Wendelburg loves me please let the prize in this box have something to do with love.” I immediately busted into the box and dug out the prize in wild anticipation. This is the prize that came out…

 We could not believe our eyes!

We were so giddy! We were sure it was an answered prayer and that it definitely meant Scott loved me. I remember smiling for hours after finding this prize. What a lucky girl I was.

I share this story with you now because I married my 8th-grade sweetheart Scott Wendelburg and this week we are celebrating 35 years together. I have always loved our Cracker Jack story as part of our Love Story. This sticker is in my scrapbook to this very day and I will treasure it always.

Not only is it a treasure because it confirmed Scott’s love for me back then, but as an adult, I have found a new meaning in the sticker that I had not noticed before. Back when I was 13-years old, I viewed the heart as the main attraction of the sticker, as surely the heart meant Scott loved me. I viewed the rainbow as just a pretty addition. However, as an adult Christian, I cannot help but wonder if the rainbow is symbolic as well? I love how the rainbow is wrapped around the heart and flows up to the sky. In the Bible, Genesis 9:13, God says, “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” Does the rainbow in our sticker show God was a part of our love story from the very beginning? Is it there to remind Scott and I that our marriage is a covenant before God and He is indeed the most important part of our relationship? I believe both have to be true! The thought of this just gives me chills. God is so amazing and works in such mysterious ways. He is always there. We just have to remember to look for Him.

Do you have a favorite part of your love story? Has God touched your relationship in a special way? If so, I would love for you to share it in the comments below!

XO-Kerry