MY "BRUCE LEE" T-SHIRT

Sunday, October 21, 2001

Seven years ago, the singles Bible study group I had been leading for about a year-and-a-half got together, as usual, to fellowship and to study the Word. After this particular meeting, several hung around and visited. Debra and I had been dating for about three months by then, but didn’t make it known within the group. So, after this particular meeting, I noticed one of the men in the group visiting with Debra. Visiting for a long time. He seemed interested. I controlled my jealousy and went home. Soon after arriving home, the phone rang. It was Debra.

Debra was troubled because this guy had asked her out and we hadn’t made it known yet that we were “an item”. It was awkward for her.

Monday, October 22, 2001

The very next day after this Bible study, I left a message on Debra’s telephone answering machine asking her and Ashley to come over. I had a gift to offer each of them. But there was a catch. They could either have the gifts later or they could turn them down. But they could not have the gifts that evening.

Sunday, October 28, 2001

The following weekend, I had encouraged everyone from the singles Bible study group, about forty or fifty in number, to attend this particular meeting because I had a special announcement for them. I told them that my partner from work, Lee, would also be attending and that we would both be wearing our “Bruce Lee" T-shirts. All who attended heard my announcement. Those who were not able to attend that meeting received an email message that night.

The subject of that message was: IN CASE YOU MISSED MY “BRUCE LEE” T-SHIRT STORY.

Here is a copy of that message:

IN CASE YOU MISSED MY “BRUCE LEE” T-SHIRT STORY

(E-mailed to the Singles Bible Study Group on October 28, 2001)

So, what’s the story behind my “Bruce Lee” T-shirt?

Tonight at Bible study I introduced the group to my co-worker and fellow radiation therapist, Lee . I shared with the group how, when patients forget our names at work, Lee and I tell them to think of Bruce Lee. “I’m Bruce and he’s Lee.” One day Lee and I wore our Bruce Lee T-shirts to work as sort of a joke. When we were told that our T-shirts were not appropriate attire in our department, we took them home.

Well, one day last May, 2001, Lee did a treatment setup on a new patient--a lady who was being treated for breast cancer--and Lee, who occasionally expresses concern for my social well being, somehow thought that this lady and I would be a good match. I told Lee that, as a Christian, I would never consider pursuing a relationship with someone who didn’t share my faith. Lee, who I have never suspected of being a Christian, said that she was wearing a necklace with a cross on it. I told Lee that a cross on a necklace doesn’t mean anything. I also told him that since I lost my wife to breast cancer, I wasn’t interested in pursuing a lady who was battling the same disease. Lee said her type of cancer was “ductal carcinoma in situ”, a non-invasive lesion which, when treated, leaves the patient with an excellent prognosis. Lee also told me that she had no lymph node involvement and that she didn’t need any chemotherapy.

Still, I knew I could never involve myself in a relationship with a woman unless she was a true believer who was totally committed to Jesus Christ. Period. End of discussion.

So, in an attempt to put a quick halt to Lee’s matchmaking efforts, I spoke to this lady one day during her treatment and said, “I notice you have a cross on your necklace. Is that an expression of your faith or do you just like crosses?”

“It’s an expression of my faith,” she said.

As her six-week course of radiation treatments continued, I continued talking with her each day about her faith and her family and I soon realized that I had met a true woman of faith who was totally devoted to God. I also mentioned Table Rock Fellowship to her and one Sunday morning she arrived there to visit. I also told her about our singles Bible study group, and she attended a meeting one Sunday evening back in June.

When she attended that Bible study, her name and e-mail address were put into our directory just like everyone else’s who attends for the first time. And she, along with all the others in our group who have computers, received one of my many e-mails about upcoming activities and Bible studies. I was a bit surprised when her e-mail address appeared on my computer screen asking if I would be willing to be an “online buddy”. I wasn’t quite sure what that meant so I asked her about it the next day when she came into the clinic for her radiation treatment. She said it was her 11-year-old daughter who wanted me to be her online buddy. Her daughter apparently thought I was a “nice guy” because I showed her around the clinic when she would come in with her mom.

Then one evening a few days later, while I was online, a message appeared on my screen saying that this 11-year-old girl was also online. So that evening I learned how to do an online chat for the first time. Sadly, this young girl told me she was unhappy because her father was also online at the time, but he refused to chat with her. So I tried to cheer her up as we typed our conversation back and forth. In the course of trying to lift her spirits, I surprised myself by asking her, “What would you think if I wanted to take you and your mom to see Shrek at Tinseltown?” She was excited. Very excited. She checked with her mom, her mom said, “OK”, and the three of us went to see Shrek together at Tinseltown on the Fourth of July.

Ever since that afternoon, I have spent every Friday evening with her mom and every Saturday afternoon or evening with both of them. And over these past several months I have become a changed man. My heart has been stirred. And I have found myself growing to love both mother and daughter more and more with each passing day.

So, last Monday evening, October 22nd, I asked them to come over to my house because I had an “unusual” gift for each of them. The gifts were unusual, I told them, because the two of them could either turn the gifts down or have them later, but they couldn’t have them now.

I first took the daughter into an empty bedroom at the back of my house and left her mom waiting in the family room at the other end of the house. Then I told this little girl that I had grown to love her mom. I told her that I had grown to love her, too, and that I would now like to offer her the “unusual” gift. I then placed a sign on the bedroom door, which read “Ashley’s Room” and asked Ashley if she would like to have this as her very own bedroom (she currently shares a bedroom with her mom). She said, “Yes” (as in “YES!!!”). I asked her if she understood that in order for her to have this as her own room I would have to marry her mom. She said, “Yes” again. I then asked her if it would be OK with her if I went back out into the family room and asked her mom to marry me. She said, “Yes.” And when I told Ashley that my “unusual” gift for her mom was not a ring because I didn’t know yet if her mom would say “yes” to my question, Ashley said, “She will.”

So, I left Ashley in the back bedroom and returned to her curious mother in the family room with her “unusual” gift in my hand. When I handed her the box, she was thrilled when she noticed on the cover of the box that it was not only a Bible, but it was the exact Bible she wanted! And when Debra Merideth opened that box, there rested a beautiful, leather-bound, burgundy Bible, inscribed at the bottom with the words “Debra Perkins”. As she sat speechless with her eyes locked on that inscribed leather cover, I gave her a brief speech which I had prepared and practiced, and then I knelt before her, took her hand in mine, looked into the most beautiful brown eyes I have ever seen, and asked, “Debra, will you marry me?”

She said, “Yes!”

And that’s the story behind my Bruce Lee T-shirt.

It was exactly seven years ago today that Debra said “Yes”.

And Lee, of course, was best man at our wedding.