The last first date

He beat me to the restaurant

that was always my "first date" choice

since it allowed escape from the parking lot

without being followed.

You'd be surprised...

 

And there he was...

He was standing in the lobby

directly across from the door.

I recognized him immediately since,

unlike most men I'd met,

he mostly looked like his profile pictures -

but better!

Much, much better!!!

 

We had spent a significant amount of time

emailing from the eHarmony site,

copious, deep, revealing emails.

I'd done my due diligence,

including discovering a mutual friend

who gave him a ringing endorsement!

 

I was already half in love when I agreed to a date.

 

We spent three hours that night

across from each other in a booth -

an untouched bowl of chips and salsa between us.

What a man!

Giving up chips and salsa

because I couldn't eat them

during my Lent commitment!

 

We talked and laughed.

We shared some deep, serious moments.

We never left our seats.

For three hours.

For people of a certain age -

which we were -

that's significant!

Suddenly we looked around and realized

we were the only customers in the restaurant

and chairs were being stacked on the tables!

It was time to go!

 

He walked me to my car

where we stood and talked for another 15 - 20 minutes.

Then, he stood in the same spot and watched

as I drove away.

No need to be sure I wasn't being followed!

What a gentleman he was!

 

It was my last first date!

 

A few weeks later we exchanged our first of many

"I love you!"s

And just over nine months later,

we exchanged wedding vows.

 

Our path to great love 

and contentment with one another 

was not easy!

But then things worth having rarely are!

It was grief filled!

It was lonely!

Even during our dating months

there were feelings of confusion;

feelings of guilt, as if we were cheating;

there was a scary moment of potential heartbreak where,

on one of my tearful walks

during our isolation from one another,

the Holy Spirit whispered,

"Do you trust Me?

Then trust Me with this!"

and I knew for certain that I was ready,

that he was the one and that, 

if his time of seeking God revealed he wasn't ready,

I would wait for as long as it took. 

Turned out he was ready too.

That long week in May

resulted in a whole-hearted giving of ourselves

to one-another and a basic time-line to marriage.

 

We have marveled many times

over the things we had in common,

the ways we can see from before we even knew one another,

that God's intention was to bring us together.

We marvel at, from the beginning, 

how similar our thoughts are.

How similar our desires.

How similar our tastes.

How we say and do "couple" things,

and always have,

that normally take years of marriage.

How it feels like we've always known one another.

 

In my life, I have received many incredible gifts!

But, outside of salvation, 

the greatest gift,

    the most amazing gift,

        the most marvelous gift, 

is the gift God gave me in this remarkable man,

    this healing relationship,

        this "beauty from ashes",

            my extraordinary husband, 

                my Lanny Love!

 

I am so glad for that February 28th eight years ago

when God brought together two widowed individuals

for their last first dates

and over the next months,

grew them into one!

I didn't really understand Job before my Lanny Love.

How could new children be fulfilling and joyous

when the first children were still lost???

Now I understand!

After Job had prayed for his friends,

the LORD restored his fortunes 

and gave him twice as much as he had before. 

                                                                        ~~ Job 42:10 ~~ 

 

Our first photo together about six weeks after we met