Mary L. Hamilton – Real Life Romance – Part 1 of 2

Shannon here: Middle grade author, Mary L. Hamilton shares how she met her husband plus a chance to win her book, Hear No Evil. Comment or answer the question at the end of any post dated Jan 25 – 28 to enter the drawing. Deadline: Feb 6th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Mary:



An Open Door for Love by Mary L. Hamilton
Dating isn’t worth the hassle. We’re all just playing games, trying to impress each other and not being real. How can I expect a marriage to last a lifetime when all my dating relationships only last a few months? Those were my thoughts in the fall of 1980 after another relationship bit the dust.
I was ready to give up on dating, especially in light of what my Singles pastor had been saying over the last several weeks.
“Be open to what the Lord wants to accomplish through you. Singles are uniquely gifted to be of service to the Lord, because you don’t have the responsibilities of marriage and family. God can do great things if you’ll make yourself available.”
I decided to take up the challenge. Determining not to pursue any dating relationships, I asked the Lord to use me in whatever way He wanted. Then I waited with great anticipation.
Meanwhile, I’d gotten acquainted with a young man in the singles group. Though I felt no romantic attraction, Wayne was easy to talk with, and on the Sunday before Christmas, he and I ended up chatting about our individual plans for Christmas. I was excited about a white Christmas in Wisconsin; he was going home to warm Florida sunshine.
Just before we said good-bye, he asked, “After we get back, would you be interested in going out to dinner one night?”
Without even thinking, I responded, “Sure.”
We parted, and I kicked myself all the way out to my car. You idiot! You weren’t going to date anymore.
Why did you say yes? Stupid! I hoped he might forget all about it in the two-week interval before I saw him again.
But right after New Years’, a message on my answering machine invited me to call him so we could have dinner together. I’ll never forget the way Wayne stopped me as I approached the restaurant door. As I reached for the door handle, he said, “Wait. I know you’re perfectly capable of opening doors yourself, but I like doing this for you.”
After dinner, we drove to a local mall and watched ice skaters, then drove an hour down to Galveston and at midnight, we rode the Bolivar ferry across and back.
Though neither of us was looking for a serious relationship, as our friendship grew, we realized God’s plans just might surprise us. A year and four months after our first date, we were married in the almost the same spot where Wayne first asked me out. And almost 34 years later, he’s still opening doors for me.
About Mary: Award-winning author Mary L. Hamilton grew up at a youth camp in southern Wisconsin, much like the setting for her Rustic Knoll Bible Camp series (ages 10-15). Besides writing, she enjoys knitting, reading and being outdoors. Married to her best friend, she and Wayne raised three terrific kids and live in Texas with a rescued Golden Retriever. Learn more and connect:

Mary’s Website          Mary’s Facebook         Mary’s Pinterest         Mary’s Twitter

Mary’s Amazon Page

About the book – Hear No Evil: Summer camp is no fun for Brady McCaul. The girl with the cute dimples thinks he’s immature and childish. The camp bully targets him with cruel taunts, and flips Brady’s canoe to keep him from winning the race. But worst of all, his mom won’t let him come home. She doesn’t want him living with her anymore. Brady wonders if even God cares about him. Can Brady figure out what he did to earn Mom’s rejection and change her mind by week’s end? Or will he have to live with his workaholic dad, the guy who left when Brady was seven? All seems lost until a surprising secret changes everything.

Can’t wait for the drawing? Purchase now: Hear No Evil

Question for Readers: Did you go to summer camp as a kid?

Come back Jan 28th for part 2 with Mary!