Two years ago I was living in Texas, preparing for my move to North Carolina and to marry the most wonderful woman I have ever known. I had a truck already reserved and was busy throwing out old things to lessen the load. I sorted and sifted through so many old things I thought I would go insane. I had pitched out and tossed and ejected pile after pile. There was so much that I was ready to just leave it all behind and let it fill the dumpsters. But in the end, I ended up with a truck load anyway.
So there I was, with my son and my daughter, preparing to start a wholly new chapter in our lives. We were picking up the remnants of our small family, moving across country, and replanting ourselves in new soil.
I was planning on driving the moving truck from Texas to North Carolina myself taking my son along with me. But for my daughter, I was going to send her on ahead by airplane. So by this time two years ago, we had her plane ticket ready as well. There was so much to do for me, and for my soon-to-be wife at the time. She had her own preparations to make, not the least of which was figuring out how to put 5 kids in the limited space in the house.
A little over two years ago, an unsought divorce was finalized, my only means of transportation blew an engine, the last of my grand parents passed away, my teen kids started into public school for the first time in their lives, and I was feeling more and more alone as one by one the important people in my life simply left.
It seems strange now but I am thankful that God molded me the way He did through that time. I had to rely on Him and only Him. I not only had to rely on Him for myself, but I knew I had to put my children into His care. I had to trust Him with their hard times. It tested me, but strengthened me all the more. God is smart like that. He knows what each of us needs, if we would only listen to Him and accept it.
It was only two years ago, but it seems like a life-age had passed since I was rushing about making all those necessary preparations and visiting the remaining friends that would have me to bid them farewell. It does seem so long ago, and yet at the same time, the last two years has flown by in the blink of an eye.
As I near my two year anniversary with my wife, I am reminded of how amazing and wonderful God is through how amazing and wonderful He has blessed me with this outstanding woman. Likewise, I am thankful for our wonderful kids, blended together from two broken homes, and each of them bonding into our one family.
Yes, two years ago around this time, my world was completely different and filled with excited expectations of a new marriage, a new family, and a new life. And God has not disappointed me because He has exceeded all my expectations in really good ways.
Keep your toys Kringle, God delivers the real goods for Christmas.
Copyright 2007, Kevin Farley (a.k.a. sixdrift, a.k.a. neuronstatic)
