Bonnie's prayers were answered on CatholicMatch!
“I had been praying for 40 years for my children’s father to come back to me even though our marriage was annulled,” shares Bonnie, 78, from Texas.
Bonnie wanted desperately for her family to become whole again that she couldn’t let go. Then she decided to ask God for healing, but she changed her prayer.
“I said, ‘God if my husband is really never coming back, can you please, find me a deeply devoted Catholic man who loved his wife to her death and loved and still loves his children?’”
She thought no serious Catholic would want her, though.
Bonnie assumed she wouldn’t meet a devoted Catholic because she was a divorced woman. To her surprise, she did meet such a man on CatholicMatch in 2013, but the relationship did not work out. In her mind, that relationship was her only shot. However, around the corner waited the love of her life...
A widower, Wayne, now 75, started talking to Bonnie on CatholicMatch, but she didn’t like his picture. Without there being any physical attraction, she figured their budding friendship would fizzle out soon. Wayne persisted though, and they wrote messages back and forth for over six months.
“The more I got to know Wayne the more I believed this was the man for me. And, I no longer cared what he looked like,” she explains.
Wayne lived in Missouri, and Bonnie resided in Texas, so he asked her to fly out to meet him. “He had reserved a room for me in a lovely hotel because we both deeply believed in no sexual contact outside of marriage.”
She was surprised by his looks.
Bonnie no longer cared if Wayne looked handsome because she liked his personality and character. However, when Bonnie glimpsed Wayne for the first time, she felt surprised by his attractiveness, and her social filter slipped.
“Imagine Wayne’s shock when I first set eyes on him in the airport and blurred out, ‘Oh! You are cute too! Not just a strongly committed Catholic husband and father!”
Wayne didn’t respond to what Bonnie said, so she thought she blew it. Wayne must not have minded because they continued to fly, drive, or take a bus back and forth for another six months.
There was trouble with family...
Wayne and Bonnie’s relationship flourished. Still, a few of Wayne’s children were upset that their dad was dating and considering marriage. Wayne wrestled with guilt over hurting his children, and he ended his relationship with Bonnie for their sake.
Not two days later, Wayne’s children had a change of heart. They told him, “Dad, we don’t want you to be unhappy, so if you really want to marry Bonnie, we will accept it. However, we will not be at the wedding nor will we be able to meet her.”
Wayne shared with Bonnie what his two children told him. Bonnie replied, “I greatly admire your love for your children, and whatever you need to do, I will accept.”
Now, happily married in her golden years!
Wayne wanted a second chance at a happy marriage. Although he and Bonnie have had obstacles caused by family dynamics, they say that they are exceedingly happy. Two of Wayne’s daughters keep their distance, and the other two are wonderfully warm and embracing, says the couple. Bonnie’s children feel elated for their mother, and they’re happy that Wayne is such a perfect match for her.
Bonnie never dreamt that she would spend her golden years with a husband who loved her, but CatholicMatch changed that. In Wayne, Bonnie found a gentleman to share her faith with and lift up her voice to God.
She shares, “I have always desired a man that could sing the Catholic songs with all their heart.” Now, she has Wayne, who possesses a fantastic voice and knows all the Catholic hymns, including the ones in Latin.
Bonnie and Wayne have been married for five years. “We know that if we had that many years left in this world, we would still be together 50 years from now,” they say. “We are deeply blessed and great full that we found each other.”
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