An Unrequited Love Story

Valentine’s Day can be difficult for single people. Despite going through two divorces, I’m still desiring to marry again. Previously in this blog, I wrote about a grade school girlfriend I considered my first love. While I went on to have many other girlfriends during my youth, there was one relationship I strongly desired that wasn’t meant to be. 

This story begins in late 1980 around the time I landed a job at Skateland in Fargo, North Dakota. One day at the roller rink, I asked a cute redhead to skate with me during “couples only.” Her name was Jodi. I was interested in getting to know her until she informed me of having a steady boyfriend. So I pretty much forgot about Jodi until a few weeks later.

On the day after Valentine’s Day 1981, I had that Sunday off but still spent the day at Skateland. During “trios only”, I asked two girls sitting together to skate with me. One of them was Jodi who reminded me of us skating before. Although she was still seeing that other guy, Jodi asked to skate at least one “couples only” with me. Not long after we did that, I felt my emotions well up. Soon I rushed into the bathroom and burst into tears. I thought Jodi was the girl of my dreams. She was a good-looking singer with a beautiful smile and winsome personality but unavailable. Jodi noticed how sad I looked and tried cheering me up by tickling me under the chin. That depressed me even more.

The next day I browsed through my father’s copy of Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” A few times I called Jodi applying tips learned from the book. I hoped to persuade her to dump this other guy but soon gave up on that. It was awkward hearing one of her sisters answer the phone and ask if I was “Jeff” (Jodi’s boyfriend).

Over the next two years, I frequently fantasized about having a music career with Jodi while listening to my favorite records. I also wrote a few songs about her. One was called “Pray for the Day” (though I wasn’t living for the Lord then). Meanwhile, Jodi occasionally showed up at the roller rink and often asked me to skate at least one “couples only” with her. 

A Skateland coworker (ironically also named Jodi) went to school with Jodi in Glyndon, Minnesota. One day she told me Jodi had broken up with her boyfriend. I was stoked until hearing she was already seeing someone else. It was heartbreaking for me not having a chance to date Jodi before she found a new boyfriend. But a few weeks later in May 1983, my coworker informed me Jodi was free again. I called her to verify that was true. Jodi was open to going out with me but would be away for the summer. I planned to call her again when school started in the fall.

Then in July, Jodi called me! She was back home for one night and asked if I wanted to get together. My parents had gone out for dinner but returned home a short time later. I anxiously ran outside begging them to let me use the car despite being grounded for having an accident two days before. Fortunately, they allowed me to drive out to the farm where Jodi and her family lived. She and I then went for a country drive and parked somewhere to talk. Although Jodi let me kiss her, my infatuation with her diminished. We didn’t really hit it off as a couple. I still liked Jodi and was open to dating her again but soon she found another boyfriend. 

The last time I talked to Jodi was in January 1985. Both of us were attending Moorhead State University. Jodi approached me in the student union and talked about a former classmate of mine she knew who had recently died in a car accident. Eventually, I moved to Minneapolis to pursue a music career. Among the songs I produced was simply titled “Jodi.” It was written during a lonely period of my life though I didn’t intend on pursuing her again.

Fast forward two decades later. In 2008, I was living in Virginia and had a dream one night of receiving a phone call from Jodi. In response to this dream, I searched the Internet and found a Fargo Forum article written the year before about Jodi’s father who turned 90 years old. I called this man but mostly talked with his wife because he was hard of hearing. She informed me Jodi was living in Oregon and hadn’t contacted them in a while. They didn’t even have her current address. I also found out Jodi was divorced and had four children. Unable to find contact information on Jodi, I gave up my pursuit of her.

Three years after that while surfing the Internet, I discovered Jodi’s father had died the month before. The online obituary revealed Jodi had remarried and moved to Texas. I found her Facebook page and learned her new husband is a Christian. Jodi herself worked for one of my favorite ministries. I sent Jodi an email offering condolences for her father’s death and included a hyperlink to my testimony. Despite us now being like-minded believers, Jodi didn’t reply to my email. Perhaps she’s setting a boundary. Either way, we can be thankful the Lord restores and heals the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18). 

Instead of being jealous, we should celebrate another believer’s blessings whether it’s materially or relationally.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” - Romans 12:15

The Day the Music Died

While many Americans today have their minds on the Super Bowl, pop music historians remember this being the anniversary of “The Day the Music Died.” Originating from Don McLean’s classic hit “American Pie”, that phrase summarized a horrific event that happened sixty years ago. 

On February 3rd, 1959, a chartered airplane crashed in a frozen field near Mason City, Iowa killing rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. This tragedy has been of particular interest to me since their next concert would have been in Moorhead, Minnesota, the city where I grew up. The concert site was only five blocks from the house I would spend most of my childhood. One of the performers who filled in for the deceased musicians was Robert Velline, who went on to a successful career as Bobby Vee. My late father went to high school with Bobby and shared an art class with him. Vee himself died a couple of years ago due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. 

Technically, the music of all these musicians hasn’t died. Their songs continue to be heard on oldies stations and other outlets. Sometimes I played their music during my years as a disc jockey in nightclubs and at wedding dances. Now as an evangelist, I’m more interested in where these musicians are spending eternity. 

Shortly after that tragic plane crash, a tribute record was released called “Three Stars.” In this song, Tommy Dee talked about Buddy Holly singing for God now. That’s a likely possibility since Buddy grew up attending a Baptist church. Hopefully, he got born again prior to his death.

“Three Stars” also mentioned God “calling” Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper to heaven. Considering these two singers were 17 and 28 years old respectively, this is inconsistent with Scripture. While some martyrs have laid down their lives for the gospel at a young age, God desires to satisfy us with long life (Psalm 91:16). In addition, we cannot assume Ritchie and the Big Bopper are in heaven. They needed to have called on the name of Jesus while alive in order to pass through the Pearly Gates.

What about you? Are you certain of your eternal destiny? You can be sure of singing with the angels in heaven (and possibly the singers previously mentioned) if you know the Lord.

“I heard a sound like massed choirs in Heaven singing, ‘Hallelujah! The salvation and glory and power are God’s—'" Revelation 19:1 (The Message)

An Open Letter to Jon Lindgren

Jon is the former mayor of Fargo, ND 

and an outspoken critic of religion

Dear Jon,

I’m a Christian missionary who has read many of your articles published in The Forum and in your blog. My motive for writing this letter is not to stir up a debate but inspire you to think about a few things since you call yourself a “freethinker.”

First, let me point out that I once thought of myself as an atheist but was really more of an agnostic. While growing up in the Fargo-Moorhead area, my parents made me attend a traditional Lutheran church that gave me wrong perceptions of Christianity. For years, I questioned God’s existence until hearing a motivational speaker point out how the order of our universe is evidence of a Creator. Not long afterward, I prayed to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. My life hasn’t been the same since.

I read that you once considered yourself a believer but had walked away from the faith. Throughout my 24 years of doing street ministry, I’ve met other people who said the same thing. That often happened in response to a tragedy or they never really knew the Lord to begin with. One cause of the latter is churches “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:5) That’s why many mainline denominations are losing members. People’s spiritual needs aren’t being met there. Fortunately, there are churches alive and growing because the Word of God is taught accurately and the Holy Spirit is allowed to function during services. 

People frequently ask me why God allows bad things to happen such as wars, crime, storms, accidents, and disease. There is a simple answer to that. We live on an accursed planet largely ruled by Satan. Even the Bible calls him “the god of this world.” Man has a free will and can choose to follow God or (by default) the devil. You may not believe the devil is a real entity but I can testify from experience he comes to steal, kill and destroy. Denying the existence of the supernatural is like denying gravity. We might not see these things with our physical eyes but there are consequences when we ignore spiritual and natural laws.

One of your articles talks about “ditching religion.” I would agree with that concept depending on your definition of religion. Many dictionaries define it as “a system of faith and worship.” Although Christianity is often labeled as a religion, it was never intended to be a system of do’s and don’ts but a relationship with the Creator who loves us very much. The word religion originates from the Latin word religio, which means “to bind.” Religion can become a form of bondage to well-meaning people trying to follow God’s laws without knowing Him personally. Cults and other religious groups contribute to this bondage by adding rules not based on Scripture.

Another one of your articles makes the claim “…all faiths basically are the same. All believe their faith is the absolute truth and that all others are fake or false.” That’s not entirely true. Universalists believe “there are many ways to get there” despite various religions often contradict each other. Jesus simplified all this by saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

A more recent article of yours denies the existence of miracles. Often people don’t believe in them because they have never seen one. I used to be like that. However, Christians who obey the Great Commission can expect to see signs following such as the sick being healed. I’ve seen this happen many times by using the name of Jesus. Have you thought about why some people use His name as a cuss word but not Allah or Buddha? Satan may influence people to blaspheme the Lord’s name but he still must bow whenever a Christian speaks the name of Jesus with boldness.

This letter may not change your skepticisms. Hopefully, it has you thinking about your standing with the Lord since you’re entering your eighties and will likely step into eternity soon. It’s unfortunate many ungodly things have been done by church leaders in God’s name. However, that’s not an excuse to run away from Him. Every person will someday stand alone before His throne to give an account of their life.

In closing, I want to ask you a simple question: If Christianity were true, would you become a Christian? If your answer is “no”, then I disagree with your use of the term “freethinker.” You are closing your mind to the possibility of Christianity being the real deal. But if your answer is “yes”, then I encourage you to ask the Lord to make Himself real to you. Don’t look to a particular church or denomination for truth but in the person of Jesus Christ. He will reveal Himself to anyone who diligently seeks Him.

Sincerely,

Todd R. Post