My first date with Jay was a blind date. A friend of mine set us up, alleging we would be going out with a group of people one night in December of 1993. She did tell us she was planning to introduce us, though. When we both arrived, separately, we found we were the only two there. She went with us to see an IMAX film and then claimed she was tired and needed to go home. This from a major party girl. But we took the hint and took her home and then headed back to go to Zoo Lights at the Denver Zoo. It was there we held hands for the first time, though later that night at the planetarium Jay pushed my arm off the shared armrest a couple of times until I decided he was probably a jerk. Hmm, I married him anyway.
Since that time, we have gone to the Zoo Lights every year. Even when Rachel was a newborn, we bundled her up and went after Christmas. Of course, it wasn't all that cold that year, maybe around 40 degrees F the night we went. We've been married for over 14 years now, so counting each year, we've been there 15 times. We've always loved going, probably more for the tradition and meaning behind it than that there is anything new - though there actually were a few new displays this year. We've always kept a membership to the zoo which nets you discounts for special things like Zoo Lights. Rachel loves the animals, as do Jay and I. We visit there several times a year, especially during the summer months. With Jay out of work, I thought we'd have to skip this year, but I was asked to babysit for someone who only allows adults to watch her kids and earned the money to pay for our visit plus some. So we left the house to arrive when it first opened for the evening. We sang Christmas songs on our way there, talked and laughed and enjoyed our drive. I made some hot cocoa mix and we took it in a thermos and drank some about halfway through when the chill was getting into our bones. We rushed through the open pachyderm house, covering our noses from the smell and taking deep, cold air breaths when we got out the other side. The drive home was filled with more laughing, talking and a little singing. But the real surprise was pulling up in front of our house. When we pulled up, I said, "Oh my gosh, Jay. Look at the porch." There were bags all over it. Bags of gifts and gift cards and loving cards from people at our church who have shared our burden, held us up in their prayers and kindness, overwhelmed our hearts with their generosity.
I cannot say how overwhelming this has all been. I have never known such generosity. I've never felt unable to thank enough or be grateful enough than I have in these last few months. I found myself in tears before I even reached the porch, before I read a single card, before I understood the enormity of what lay on our front porch. We felt blessed before all this to have survived some difficulties over our fourteen years of marriage with mental illness, some health challenges, infertility issues, the loss of 5 babies to miscarriage and the loss of 3 jobs in the last 4 years that have financially devastated us. But we survived it all and have grown in unexplainable ways as a couple, as a family and as individuals. What we have experienced in the last couple of months has helped us grow and move forward even more. And, at least for myself and what I can see in my husband and daughter, we have moved very far forward in our faith. The Lord knows us. He cares for us and wants what is best for us. He hears our prayers. He moves our friends and ward family in the ways that we need. He will never forsake us. He will never forget us. He will never turn His back on us. We are loved and our burdens are shared by our friends. We have found the restored church of Jesus Christ on the earth today and have turned our hearts over to it. In return, we have had blessings beyond any expectation or wish. We are, in simple words, very, very blessed.
Read the previous post to see the other blessings we have experienced lately.
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