Blessed Night

It was Friday night, December 3, 2004, and the Collierville Christmas parade was moving forward past the front of our church with marching bands, decorated floats, which along with the cold temperatures, brought everyone festive holiday smiles in anticipation of their first glimpse of Santa Claus.
As it had now been a tradition, our church had set up a couple of stations to give away free hot chocolate to the frozen bystanders and their "oblivious-to-the-cold" children as they awaited the arrival of the first entry of popsicled participants in the parade. :)
I filled cup after cup of the cocoa, and as we finally ran out, we tore down our temporary coverings and tables and I started walking toward my car.
Um, one problem though which I really hadn't considered- my car was parked on the OTHER side of the street. That means I would have to interrupt the procession to get to my vehicle which was parked at my friend's house. I would have to risk being romped by a cascade of clowns. (Can you tell I love alliteration?:)
So, indeed I was stuck for the moment.
Aren't you glad that God uses times when we think we are stagnant to really bless us. We think that the moment is a mere vapor of time, but the Lord has a plan for us from the beginning.
How he blessed me that night.
Four years ago, tonight, I walked along the congregated parade-watchers and stopped in a place that would change my life. I was standing next to Jean Ann Duval.
In all actuality, I was standing next to many other people too, including our mutual friend Beth Cox and her lovely daughter, Mary. But, Jean Ann was right next to me. She was bundled up so tight that I could only see her beautiful smile and her sparkling eyes and some of her long hair flowing from beneath her pretty toboggan and scarf.
God put us together that night. We started talking about how much we both loved Christmas. Minutes (the vapor kind only a few minutes ago) went by and before you know it I was walking her back to her van because the two hour parade had ended.
I told her that I would meet her tomorrow night, Saturday, for our favorite holiday movie on the Collierville square, "It's A Wonderful Life."
I saw her the next night with her kids. And the following night at our church as we sat together for the Children Christmas program. (I got her phone number at church Sunday morning at choir.) And the following night we went out to eat, talked, and laughed as we went to another Christmas program at another church. We loved all the same things.
And what I found out about her that I loved the most is that she loved Jesus. He was first in her life. We had so many things in common, but that was by far the most important.

Tonight, as we go together as husband and wife, and as we stand out in the cold in front of our new church sanctuary, serving hot chocolate and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, I am sure we will both be filled with love and joy and wonderful memories. I thank God for giving us the greatest gift in the world- His Son, Jesus Christ- the reason for CHRISTmas. AND, I thank God for sending me a loving wife that wants to serve Him with all her heart, mind, soul, and strength, and who shows me her love every moment I am with her.
What a blessed night!
I love you my Beautiful!
Wink