The Words of the Weber Family
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The Words of the Weber Family |
The Blessing is a very important time in a person's life. It is actually life changing in every way. Here are some of my recollections, experiences, and lessons that I learned as a result of being blessed in 1975.
I once heard that at a leader's conference at some time, Father asked the leaders what they thought that his most important mission was. After the leaders guessed such things as "ending evil," "defeating Satan," and other things, Father smiled and said that his most important mission was bringing the Blessing. His mission was to establish the first God centered family and to join other families with God's lineage.
I was part of the 1800 Couple Blessing in 1975 and flew with many other Americans over to Korea. We were greeted at the airport by Korean family members holding banners of welcome.
I will never forget the day of the matching. We were all individuals at the beginning of the day, not couples yet, and we all lined up, brothers on one side of the room and sisters on the other side. Father then began marching back and forth between us and matching couples.
I was one of the youngest members at the time. (I have aged a little bit since then), and Father began matching the oldest couples first. So, as the day progressed, everyone I knew was matched. Now, as I looked across the room, all the sisters that I saw were strangers. A deep fear began to come over me. Who would I be matched with?
Father then said that we would break for dinner. When everyone objected and asked Father to continue, he laughed and said that even he needed a break. So, we broke for dinner.
Now, as I walked around, I saw that most of the people walking around were newly matched couples. Now the fear that I was feeling just moments before was replaced with a deep loneliness. I was still an individual!
After eating, I went back to the matching hall and prayed for about 20 minutes before others started coming in for the rest of the matching. And soon after that, Father arrived.
Father again marched back and forth looking at the brothers and sisters. Suddenly, he stopped and pointed to me! "How many years of college have you had?" he asked.
I started to get up. "Three years of photography training," I said.
Father frowned and signaled for me to sit down again, and as Father looked back and forth between brothers and sisters, I wondered if I had been rejected.
Father then pointed to a sister on the other side of the room behind all of the other sisters. I could not see her. "How many years of college have you had?" he asked her.
I saw a hand go up with two fingers raised and a voice said, "Two years of college."
Father told the sister to stand up and pointed to me to stand up. As I stood, I got my first look at Diana, my future wife, and a deep sense of relief came over me. I thought, "She really looks like a wonderful person."
Father then said, "Go talk." And we went into a back room to talk and decide if we would accept Father's match.
I think that Diana said that she doesn't remember exactly what we said or did at that moment, but I remember quite vividly. At first we just stood looking at each other. Then we introduced ourselves and said where we worked. Then we continued looking at each other in silence.
After awhile, Diana turned and started walking toward the door, and again I wondered if I was being rejected. But then Diana turned to me and said, "Whatever Father wants!"
A thought went though my mind that went something like, "But we haven't talked to get to know each other!" Then I thought, "We can get to know each other after we accept the match."
So, we went out and bowed to Father to accept the match.
We DID talk and begin to get to know each other on up to the day of the Blessing. After coming back to the United States, we had to go through a conditional separation until we reached the age of 30. But, just as we were going to come together to start our family, another condition was started for blessed wives, and Diana was sent out with many other wives on a witnessing campaign.
Altogether, Diana and I experienced a conditional six years of separation before we finally were able to come together and start our family. During this time, we wrote letters, sent tapes to each other, and communicated to such a degree that, when we did get together, it was like we had never been apart.
Going through the matching and Blessing this way, I learned some very important lessons. Before the matching, I had preconceived ideas of who would be a good match for me. Since all the sisters that I know were matched before I was and all the sisters who were left were strangers, I had to be ready for whoever God had in mind for me without any preconceived ideas.
Next, since Diana and I were strangers, we had to get to know each other from scratch, getting to know each other on a very internal level of heart and personality…not by external things as the outside world does.
Last of all, we had to go through two back-to-back separation periods which mad it a combined 6 years before we could start our family. This was a difficult test of faith and commitment to God, True Parents, and each other. Yet, as I said, we maintained our relationship and communication so well that when we did come together, it was as if we had never been apart.
Now I can't imagine my life without Diana. I went to the matching and Blessing as one type of person, and I came out experiencing a whole new dimension of life.
Since then, life has been wonderful!!!
Thank you God and True Parents!!!