George and I both attended Tulsa Bible Church and the singles class there was my “support base.” The singles class was small, consisting of 15 to 25 people, so I got to know everyone there quite well. Most of the members of this class were under 30 years old. Penny T. was a member of the class and was a key employee in our MicroAge Store.
Lola was the sweetest, smartest and most attractive girl in the group. She was older than most of the other girls in the class but she always was with a guy named Robin. I thought she was totally “out of my league.” Robin drove a Porche while I was driving a Cadillac Eldorado.
Then, after about 18 months, Robin was not around anymore. I did not ask Lola out but she surprised me by asking me out before I was able to. She had been watching me all the time. She invited me to share the public hot tub at the apartment complex where she lived. I was a gentleman with her even after we went to her apartment to dry off and change clothes. Lola was about 33 while I was 40 at the time. I am sure Lola had made up her mind that it was time for her to get married and she saw me as a prospect.
Within just a couple of days, I got an invitation from one of the elders in the church, Ted, to have dinner with him and his family. After a nice dinner, he explained the situation with the church. He informed me that I would not be allowed to serve in any kind of leadership role at the church. Truth be told, I would never have sought to be a leader there. The purpose of the dinner and the visit afterward was to let me know that Lola was “off limits” to me because I was divorced. Lola was close to Ted. I am sure she told Ted she liked me. This was a most painful experience for me. Not only did I lose the girl of my dreams but I also lost my support system as well. I never saw Lola or went to that church again.
