Betty Whitaker Jackson

Seaside Serendipity Betty Whitaker Jackson

This is the story of two loves: Sarah for Darren, and Sarah for Ben. Their stories are very different, yet so very much alike. I believe in God's guidance. It is not mere serendipity when two individuals blend their lives in marriage. If each is a believer in God's principle that each life is to be lived with His purpose in mind, He brings His children together to His benefit and glory. That is Sarah's story. She is named purposefully. In the Old Testament story of Abram and Sarai, later Abraham, Father of all nations, and Sarah, God made a covenant, a promise. To scoffers, it seemed impossible that Sarah could become pregnant and produce a son when she was well-past the age of fertility, but God can do miracles. While Sarah in this story represents hundreds of young women in our time who use their most "fertile" years to advance their careers, or who have given up on the idea of marriage, they, like the Sarah in the story, wonder whether they will ever marry and have typical families. It is an all-too-familiar tale in this time of millennials who are writing their own pages of history. Many young men in today's society seem afraid of marriage, or have rejected the idea in favor of videogames and pleasure. Living the good life, perhaps, without responsibility. At least that's what many young women think. Part of it is financial. Part of it is entitlement. Much of this idea seems to make marriage and children, a less enviable option than personal freedom. Our millennials are asking? Is marriage the only, or even the best option for young women? Can life be fulfilling without childbearing, or will later regret stain the success of life lived for other purposes? This is a story of perceived expectations. It is Sarah's story, set in the paradise of Florida. Sarah works as an ICU nurse, with critically ill patients. Sarah founds a senior care facility called Mom's Touch. Here she cares for hospice patients and also provides respite care for clients to give caregivers time away from their responsibilities. She becomes a military wife, experiences deployment, and raises young children on her own. Throughout all her experiences, she relies on her faith to give her strength, and in retrospect discovers that her story is not serendipity at all, but rather, God's plan for her life and those she loves. Enjoy the read.