open heart …

I gathered my keys and camera.  Said my goodbyes and kissed my best friend.

A good night.

A night of celebrating good legacy … one that has overcome it all. One that doesn’t always make sense to anyone but Him.  Either way it’s still 60 years.

and

sixty years isn’t something to walk past without cake, ice cream, songs, love and friends.

We ended the night sitting around the table with the ones who helped to get them this far.

The ones who traveled through the shadow of the valley of death with them….we all sat together flanking them.

We shared stories about what our lives had looked like in the past few months.

All the stories were for the love of family. I don’t know if anyone noticed the theme but it wasn’t lost on me.  When all the hub bub of party was simmered down… and only the  ones who had been there every day  sat around the table… the theme was love.

My restless tired baby announced that it was late…. much later than I had realized.

I gathered my keys and camera.  Said my goodbyes and kissed my best friend.

Across the table I heard him…. and in him I heard Him.  I know His voice, yet still new to his voice I couldn’t make out the words. I could feel the hand of Him reach through the flesh of this world.  I could feel it reach out through it … through this man.  I could feel the Jesus in him reach out towards the Jesus in me.  Like a magnetic pull I turned toward the draw of it.

“I am sorry what?”  The table was engrossed in new stories.  Did anyone else see it… at least feel it?

“I appreciate the story you shared….”.  He motioned to where I had sat when I cracked my chest wide open and told of my very best day of my life.  I had told them the good , the bad and how I had overcome it all…How He had overcome it all… How He had made my heart soar. I had nervously  murmured as I ended the story ,” and it was the very  best day of my life,” as I had reached to the ground to pick up a baby toy.  I  had shared it after this man had shared his heart.  His heart for children…. not biologically his.  His eyes had beamed at their accomplishments. He had bragged of normal every day things that most parents overlook.  I had welled with tears as he  had spoke of loving kids fiercely who others would deem “not his”.  This man who runs multiple companies… who wants for nothing… he is undone by kids who call him by his first name.  He has never allowed a title to get in the way of his family. His love for them was never a conjured thing… it is effortless. His heart had once cracked open and forever let them in.  The blood of one never rejecting  the blood of another.

“I appreciate the story you shared…. ‘ the best day of your life’ … thank you for sharing it.”  He motioned to the chair I had bared my love in.

I stammered…. about how his story had changed my heart…. and there we stood… with our Jesus just hanging out in front of everyone.