Day 127: Dance

I spent the weekend over on the west side with my husband. He had been granted a 48 hour pass, and I was desperate to see him. It had been almost six weeks since our last visit, and difficult weeks at that.

When I arrived at my sister's house on Friday afternoon, my husband was there waiting. As soon as I parked, the kids tumbled out of the vehicle and immediately mauled him. After many hugs and kisses, he managed to untangle himself from the jumble of adolescent arms and legs and came to coax me from the vehicle. I was tired and more than a little overwhelmed -- the trip had been long, and my week had been brutal.

Once inside, I wandered around the house for a bit making small talk with my brother-in-law while my husband unloaded the vehicle. Then I made my way to the guest bedroom. On the edge of the bed I found a note written in my husband's hand. Underneath it was small gift box and beneath the box a CD labeled simply "DANCE".

Tears welled up in my eyes as I read the note. Below is an excerpt:

"Dance is an interesting word.... The two main definitions are to move rhythmically to music and to appear to dazzle, shine, and twinkle. I was surprised by the second meaning. Just recently...I came across Ecclesiastes 3:4. It says there is a "time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance".... The word used in this text not only could mean to physically dance, but I believe it [also] means the latter. God gave me this verse to give to you. You have had times of weeping, times of laughing, times of mourning, and very soon you will have a time to dance."

Inside the box was a dainty silver necklace with the word "Dance" imprinted on the pendant, and on the CD was Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance".

Oh, how I love that man.

Day 109: Lifelines

I haven't written in a while because, quite frankly, I haven't had much to say. My husband is doing well. The kids and I are doing fine, and life is...okay. We have our good days and our bad days--nothing too exciting, nothing tragic. The crisis has passed, and we are no longer drowning, but I often feel as if I am treading water, and sometimes I am in need of a lifeline.

This morning I received a New Year's card in the mail from a friend who lives on the other side of the state. Tucked behind the adorable photo card of her two young daughters was a short note -- two simple sentences using the words "peace", "inspiration", and "trust" that changed my day. This friend had no way of knowing how discouraged I had been lately, yet her simple note was such a treasure that I tucked it into my purse as a precious reminder that God sees me in the middle of my "meh" and cares enough to meet me in the midst of it. (Thank you, Mel.)

Then this afternoon, while shopping at the local grocery store, I crossed paths with a dear family friend. I happened to be on the phone at the time, but we each smiled and nodded "hi". A few minutes later, after the friend had finished shopping, he came back into the store, sought me out, and with a huge grin on his face said, "Happy New Year!", and handed me $20. Then he turned and walked away, leaving me in the middle of the aisle trying not to burst into tears because of his kindness and generosity. This friend had no way of knowing how challenging things are for us right now financially, yet his kind gift served as a sweet reminder of God's promise of provision. (Thank you, Henry.)

These two incidents may seem like random acts of kindness, but I believe they were orchestrated by a very intentional God who will move heaven and earth (and the people on it) to demonstrate His love toward us. So thank you, my friends, for being the hands of Christ extended. Today I was in need of a lifeline. God sent me two. And because of you, I will be able to tread water a little while longer.