Seriously…
I have been to almost every continent in the world and traveled through various countries. I've chased seals and reindeer, climbed the tower surrounding the inner sanctuary of the oldest temple ruin in the world (Angkor Watt) and climbed over the Himalayas at a height unmatched in America. I've been to places where they had never seen white people before, slept in the street with "street kids" and rode elephants. I've seen lions and tigers in the wild…with the protection of a bamboo staff. I've circumnavigated the globe and have eaten much that comes from it. I've sipped cobra whiskey, held anacondas, eaten monkey brain, trekked near Yaks, managed a radio station, drank my own pee and counted my blessings under more stars than I know of.
I have friends who God has used to raise the dead. I've seen miracles of all sorts in front of my eyes including healings, forgiveness, villages changing and food multiplying. I've ridden on buses cramped with 95 plus people 18 hours a day for more days than you'd like to know. I've also ridden ON buses…I've taken malaria with me as well as a number of parasites and worms. I've led groups, received medals and done all that other honorary stuff. Even more highly, I've been loved by Haitian orphans, deaf African kids and Ukrainian orphans without names. I've given all that I've had and known the lack of comfort. I've also had more than I could ever ask for and known the comforter. My life has been full and I can truly say that I've been blessed.
However, Ang came to Marquette to visit me and it kicked off the best and most full 9 day period of my life. No question. No close second!
During the summer, God had told me multiple times to "be bold and courageous, for you have not gone his way before…Benny, Be bold…I'm taking you into your inheritance…I'm bringing you into a season that you have no paradigm for…"
Really? No paradigm? Wow! OK…
He was right and I'm just stepping into it!
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Pooks looked at me and shouted "Hey, when's Angie getting in?" I looked up curb-side after releasing the stench of garbage that were ruining my clean scent. "In about a half hour!" He chuckled as he walked and replied that I should get going soon…"Are you ready?" he quipped. "Well, I should be…I just got done with my 4th shower today and I already tried leaving about an hour ago before Lauren had me stop over…" We both laughed and I got in my car on a mission to pick up the one I had been waiting for.
I kept the car silent as I drove and just saturated myself in the noise of my thoughts…Everything seemed to stand still as I rushed to start breathing again. My car slowly pulled into the parking lot at the airport as a single plane, her plane, broke through the clouds to tip toe down onto the runway. I looked up, breathed deep and pondered aloud "What the piss am I getting myself into?"
"MY GOODNESS!" was the simple response that fired back before I had time to catch up with the conversation in my head…His goodness…wow. ok. I'm in! ALL IN!
One by one the passengers mosied on through the small terminal to their loving families…then the stewerdesses…finally the pilots!! Wait, the pilots? That's not good…shouldn't they be last? Wait…did she miss one of her four connections? NO!!! She didn't freak out and stay in Orlando? I know she likes sun, but that would be sad…and then like a father's embrace after you've been afraid in the dark as a child, she came around the corner and all was well again. I could finally breathe deeply!
I didn't know exactly what our time together was going to look like but I knew it was going to be filled with His goodness!
We took off for Marquette where I got to show her a little bit of the city, have her meet my little sister and a few of my friends…Then we went and got groceries. That sounds like a small detail to add to this, but you have no idea the satisfaction I find in sharing life with this woman…Just "doing life" with her made me feel alive…vibrantly awake as though I had just taken on Niagra falls in a barrel.
I was made for this.
More accurately, I was made for her…
…She was made for me…
We were made for Him.
…and that made my heart smile 🙂
Tomorrow, starts day 1.
