PLEASE READ PARTS 1 AND 2 BEFORE READING PART 3
It was only the Grace of God and Time that enabled Mark and Susan to keep pursuing their respective careers in spite of the pain. Mark would often remember the admonition of his college baseball coach, "Gents, sometimes you have to play through pain."
Following graduation from seminary, Mark was called as an associate pastor at a small church in Redlands, CA. When the senior pastor retired, Mark was the unanimous choice to succeed him.
In two years, under Mark's leadership, a new worship center, daycare, gym, and education space was completed and the 200 members soon became 1,500 members.
A staff of 15 helped Mark and the church to meet the spiritual needs of the local population, minister to the ballooning Hispanic community and to work with the many international students at the nearby Loma Linda University.
The phenomenal growth of the Mountain View Church made Mark a frequent speaker at church growth conferences. A hectic schedule of three preaching services on Sunday Morning, endless staff meetings, weddings, funerals, counseling, and hospital visitation ruined his feeble attempts at staying in shape. He was no longer the fleet footed center fielder that once seemed destined to be in the major leagues. He was paying the price of sacrificial service.
During this entire journey he never stopped missing Susan, but he did occasionally ask God if it was right for him to serve others yet hurt her and him so much.
Alone on his bed at night he often recalled the softness of her skin, her clear and cheery eyes, and the captivating fragrance of her flowing blond hair. He could almost hear her reassuring sweet voice that seemed coated with love and desire. He longed to see her again, smell her again, hear her again, and yes, kiss her and draw her close to him.
Mark was unaware that Susan's modeling career was on the fast track and getting faster. She was featured in the last two Sears summer catalogs, appeared in a ton of fashion shows, traveled to Rome, Paris, and London to judge several design contests, and she appeared in a half dozen info commercials. It was the info commercials that caught the eye of a production company's casting executive who would later invite her and her agent to Hollywood for a screen test.
Susan worked very hard to win and maintain her ascent to the top. She went through three hard workouts each week; counted calories at each meal; and tried with modest success, to be in bed by 11 pm each night. Her skin remained flawless, even without makeup. Her posture was West Point correct and her eyes had the dual feature of compassion and competition glowing within them. Her toned figure remained a major selling point in the cut throat world of international class modeling.
She could model an evening gown to open a fashion show; change a dozen times; and bring the house down with the latest in the new line of fashionable beach wear. Susan was a genuine, smoke free, drug free, silicon free, head turner, both on the runway and the sidewalk.
After firing her first two agents who each had substance abuse issues, she found a tireless, likable and reliable agent that located all of the modeling work she could handle. Good help has always been hard to find.
Like Mark, she often reflected on their storybook romance together. Would she ever see him again?
Wonder if he ever married?
PART FOUR WILL BE RELEASED IN A FEW DAYS.
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