This past weekend was absolutely amazing for many many reasons. Here is one of the moments that is standing out in my head right now:
Saturday morning I took Jon to Gordon, my undergraduate alma mater. On the way there, I realized my graduation ceremony was last time I had been on the campus! It had been nearly 7 years since I had last trotted around here and a great many things have changed since then. I've gone to pursue higher education, lived in another country, worked in many interesting places, and God brought the love of my life to Annapolis and saw to it that we married. How marvelous.
Driving up to the campus was very odd and surreal . Part of me shook in delight to share this place with Jon, another part began to fear final exams, heavy back-packs, and general college anxieties that were related to this place!
These were allayed once we started walking around and seeing the "sights." Our first stop was the chapel, where we were required to go to chapel twice a week. And because I have always tried to avoid as many unnecessary decisions in my life as possible, I sat in the exact same area in the chapel all 3.5 years that I attended Gordon, as it was one less decision to make! So I immediately knew where to take Jon - about 5th pew the from front, far left hand side.
We ambled up to the row, and I remembered distinctly heading to these pews on September 11th around noon. We had heard classes were canceled and there was a service in the chapel. Clear as day I saw my friend Bethany's face across aisle, shock and sorrow etched deeply in her expression, and myself coming to a deeper realization of what had happened.
As I related this to Jon, tears began welling up in my eyes out of no where. I'm not one to cry, so when I do I surprise myself and try to pay closer attention to my emotions. I thought maybe it was the sadness of the memory; maybe it was to some extent. However my heart was filling with Joy! It then dawned on me I was standing with the love of my life in a place that had been fraught with much wondering about my future: who I would become, what I would do, and if I would ever ever find someone to marry. College was indeed an emotionally tumultuous time for me, as it is for many of us, and much of this wondering had happened in these pews. And now I was here with my dear husband, my greatest earthly blessing. With two masters degrees and a successful career. And with a great deal of hope in the goodness that is to come because of what God has done in my life, and what He will continue to do in our lives.
Jon smiled as tears merrily trickled down my cheeks and held me close, and I just enjoyed the moment relishing God's faithfulness, provision, and the Hope he has provided through Christ and His love, and the faith we can have in His future provision.
It was a good, good day.
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