A Love Like That Changes Your World

This morning as I was talking to my grandson about his upcoming trips this summer and driving long distances I shared some of our long trips as a child. I told him about how we had moved 1600 miles away from all my other family due to my father's health. While my Daddy drove off we stayed with my grandma until he could send for us.  It was a day when calling long distance cost a fortune and for a while we didn't even have a phone. There were no cell phones, computers or internet. It was snail mail. Thinking back to how long it took for a letter to get 1600 miles and then to get one back reminds me of something like a pigeon carrier service. All that we had with us in this move was what my Dad could put in the back of his pickup truck. No toys, no TV, no dishes.  He found a small place to stay and then a job and saved for a bigger place and then saved for airline tickets to have my mother, brother and I flown out to him. Oh my gosh we missed him so much. We cried so much. 

So a couple of years later my aunt and uncle came to visit. Since we would be coming to see them in about 6 weeks when my Dad got his vacation, they asked if my mother, brother and I would like to go back with them and stay until then. So we did. Oh my we missed my Daddy so much, every night before bedtime our poor mother had to endure our crying for him. We were staying in the upstairs bedroom at my grandparent's house. One night during our sobbing and sadness my mother said "Your Daddy is here!" We thought she was just saying that to us, when she told us to look out the window and there he was walking up the walkway to the door. We couldn't get down the stairs and to him fast enough. It's like when we got off that plane in Phoenix, Arizona and there he was at the end of that never ending terminal hallway. I couldn't wait to jump up in his arms and bury my face in his chest and smell his wonderful scent. 

We had only been away from home about 2 weeks so he wasn't supposed to arrive yet, but he said he missed us so much he just couldn't wait any longer.  So he told them at work he had to take his vacation earlier and they said ok and he got in his truck without A/C and drove all the way only stopping for gas. He alone drove 1600 miles straight through. That I believe is some pretty fierce love.

Moving and changing your entire life like that can be hard, so hard. And one evening my parents told my brother and I that they were splitting up and my mother, brother and I would be moving back to our family. My first question was "Where is Daddy going to be?" They informed me that he would be staying there. I then asked "Well, who is going to take care of him?" And that is when I began protesting that I was not going, that I had to stay and take care of him. I don't remember how old I was exactly but I was not even in school yet.  Then the next day my parents brought us together again to tell us that they decided that they were not going to be divorcing and that we would all stay together. I know they are so happy that they hung in there. They were married just over 60 years when my Daddy passed away. My husband and I can say the same thing years after our marriage came under attack. Its so rewarding to see just how much God has given us in our marriages so much more than we could have imagined to ask for. 

Our world has been turned upside down in the past two years. But gosh we are blessed, so blessed. God has always had His hand on us. Because of Jesus and the family He created for us, we know great love. When I was a toddler every night I would ask my Daddy to hold my hand and he did, he never failed. I know his arm was in pain after a while but he did so until I was very asleep. It then became our saying between one another. "Would you hold my hand."  For the past 43 years my husband has been holding my hand each night as we fall asleep. A love like that not only changes your world, it changes those around you too, not only your family, but other people too. Don't ever be afraid to show your love. Its better to be a fool for love than a fool for loosing it. 

Side Note:  My podcast "Life, its a Big Faith Journey" has launched. You will find it on I-Tunes, YouTube, Spotify & Google, right here on this page page! Thank you for staying tuned.