Jake and Brent eased their backpacks off and leaned against the grass enjoying the beautiful view of the setting sun over Lake Bodensee. A moment longed for not only because it was at the end of a strenuous day of hiking, but it was also the culmination of years spent in school waiting and saving up money to go on an amazing voyage through Europe after graduation.
Their legs were tired and the soft grass was like an oasis in the desert to their aching limbs. The setting sun was just over the mountain on the other side of the lake. Its reflection off the rocks and onto the water created the surreal illusion of a distant highway. Jake followed the path of the sun all the way up to a bench along the walking trail. His eyes transfixed immediately onto the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The rays of the sun illuminated her soft brown hair. She sat so peacefully as if no one else could enjoy the moment more than her.
Jake nudged Brent. “Look!”
Brent’s eyes immediately fixated on the woman seated in the middle of the bench. “Wow!”
“I’m in love!”
“You don’t even know her! How do you even know if she is a Christian?” Brent asked.
“Look, she is wearing a cross. Her tote bag has the name of the church she attends. And, Look at how peaceful she is! By the end of the week, I will have won her heart!” Jake declared.
They moved to get up, but just then a large crowd passed by on the walkway. When they looked up again she was gone. “Where did she go?” Jake cried.
“She must have left with the crowd.” Brent deduced.
“Aww, Man! If I could have just talked to her!”
Brent stood in front of him and put his hand up. “Maybe this is God’s way of protecting you.”
“Protecting me? Why do you say that?”
Brent sighed. “Listen, we’ve been friends all through school and I would say the same about me. She’s out of your league.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “You’ll see. I just need a plan. I bet she comes back every evening to watch the sunset.”
They walked quietly back to town and checked into a hotel. The next morning Brent had an idea.
“A puppy! You need a puppy!”
“A puppy? We are in the heart of Germany. Why in the world would we need a puppy?”
“Two reasons. First, women love puppies. Second, if she doesn’t find you attractive then maybe she’ll find the puppy cute enough to let you stay.”
Jake rolled his eyes again but agreed. They went to the pet store and bought a puppy. He was very lively and high-spirited making it almost impossible for Jake to keep him in his arms before he would jump out.
They waited until sunset and went to the park by the lake where they had seen the beautiful young woman. Sure enough, she was sitting in the same spot as the night before. Jake put a leash around the puppy but the puppy would have no part of it. He wrestled the entire way. As they neared the bench, Jake worried that he was looking cruel, since the puppy had all four paws outstretched toward the ground forcing Jake to pull him along like a water skier who had come out of his skis. Jake decided to take the leash off, which ended up being a big mistake. Once the puppy tasted freedom he made a mad dash toward the other dogs on the opposite side of the park.
“Oh, no!” Jake cried as he zig-zagged across the park in vain behind the puppy, who found it quite amusing to lead Jake on a wild goose chase, leaving him eating puppy dog dust.
Finally, Brent and Jake cornered the pup by the lake, and Jake grabbed him. He gave Brent an irritated stare and handed him the puppy. By the time they got back to the bench, the sun had set and the young woman had once again vanished.
The next day at breakfast Brent had another idea. “Roses!”
“Roses?” Jake thought about it for a moment and then convinced himself. “Roses!”
Once again, they arrived at the park at sunset, and the girl of his dreams was sitting contentedly on the bench. On this particular night, street vendors were selling fruit, soft drinks, and t-shirts. Brent broke off to buy a coke and disappeared into the background. Jake approached the bench and stopped a couple of feet away. The closer he got, the prettier she appeared. He felt the sweat start to form on his brow even though it couldn’t have been more than seventy degrees out. He wanted to move but couldn’t. He was transfixed on her every feature. For someone so blessed with beauty she didn’t seem to have an air of conceit. To the contrary, her demeanor exuded warmth, friendliness and quiet humility. Jake had just begun to move when a tall German man tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw the man with his date. The tall German handed Jake twenty euros, snatched up the roses and quickly said, “danke!”
“Wait!” Jake cried out but he didn’t speak any German. His shoulders shrunk as he watched the German couple walk away. Brent spoke up from behind the soda vendor, “Jake! Come quick!”
They ran back to the florist and bought another dozen roses and raced back to the park, but the sun had set once more, and the young woman again was gone.
The next morning at breakfast Brent suggested a third scenario. “Serenade her! You’re a wonderful trumpet player, and this is Germany. There are trumpets and tubas at every corner and today there’s some music festival going on. Rent one and play her one of those Miles Davis songs. You know… the ones from Sketches of Spain. That would win over any girl!”
Jake thought about it briefly. “Okay, let’s do it!” Soon they found themselves renting a trumpet for the day at a local music shop. Jake practiced briefly prior to leaving for the park, and they were on their way. When they arrived, the park was crowded, and there was a festival going on. The smell of grilled bratwursts filled the air, while tubas bellowed foot-tapping polkas in the background. Jake approached the bench where the young woman was once again sitting. This time he didn’t delay and stood right before her and started to play. He thought he saw a smile come across her face. He closed his eyes to focus on his music and moved on to the song, Solea, trying his best to hit every note in such a way that he mirrored the song’s essence. Just as he was about to end, a marching polka band member grabbed him by the arm, commandeering him to join their number. As he was being swept away, he indeed noticed a smile on her face, but it wasn’t a humorous expression. It was a smile that stemmed from a sense of contentment, a sheer basking in the joy of the moment.
The next morning Brent was about to propose his final suggestion, but Jake stopped him. “No more games. I know what I need to do.”
“What?”
“I am going to ask her to marry me.”
Brent choked on his coffee. “What?! You’re kidding me.”
“Nope. I am going to the pawnshop today, and I am going to build my own ring. Then, I’m going to look into her eyes, and hopefully she’ll look into mine and see the love I have for her. She will see into my heart and understand my devotion for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. She will look into my eyes, and my love will be returned.”
Brent stared blankly at him for a moment and then responded. “Okay?”
Jake spent the day at the pawn shop perfecting a small but beautiful ring. He finished just before sunset and rushed to the park. There she was sitting on the bench. He approached her and knelt down. The thoughts were there, but his tongue was frozen. He looked pleadingly into her eyes and lifted up the handcrafted ring, but she did not respond. “Her lack of response is her response,” he thought to himself. His dear friend was right. She was out of his league. Who was he to be proposing to someone like her? Her silence was kindness, for words of rejection would have been too much to bear. He slowly withdrew and walked away. His friend didn’t say anything to him until they were on the train, leaving town. “I’m sorry, man.”
Jake forced a smile. “Should I be mad at God that he didn’t make me better looking? More appealing?”
Brent could see the hurt that Jake was trying to mask. “Hey, my friend, remember that your Lord and Savior was described in Isaiah as being ‘homely, nothing worth looking at.’”
Jake smiled. “Yeah, I know. But I really liked her.”
The beautiful young woman could feel the sunrays disappearing from her face, signifying the setting of the sun once again. Her hand searched for something lying underneath the park bench. Slowly, she got up and left, tapping a silver and black cane in front of her, back and forth, back and forth, slowly guiding herself home.
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