What Are You Expecting?

Well happy Tuesday to everyone!  We just returned from a few days up on the northern California coast and everything is well.  As most of you know, we had the immense pleasure of visiting with our kids from Oklahoma over the last two weeks.  We first spent time at our place with our second son Jeremy and then enjoyed a couple of days with our youngest daughter JoAnna and her husband Jeremiah.  Following this we drove up the curvy coast to the Sea Ranch development where my older son and his family along with Piper’s relatives had rented a house for the week.

My wife and I actually only stayed a couple of days and booked a room at the newly renovated Sea Ranch Lodge.  Although we had stayed at the Lodge on many occasions over the years (including the first couple of nights of our honeymoon!), this was the first time we had been there in over ten years.  I fought with the idea of getting the room for a few weeks.  The original plan was to drive up for a day visit and then return home in the early evening hours.  A heart to heart discussion with my sons convinced me though, that the overnight stay would be worth all the effort… and they were right! 

Many things concerned me about the stay at the Lodge.  Being as routine is so important with the health issue that my wife is dealing with, I was a little anxious as to how my wife would do in a new place, how she would eat, if she would sleep okay, how would she respond to all the different people we would see, how we would take care of all her personal needs, and on and on.  I think I ended up packing just about everything except the kitchen sink!

It may sound kind of insignificant, but I think the toughest issue for me was on the emotional side.  You see, the coast was always the place where my wife and I went for our quiet, romantic getaways in the past.  This time would be different.  The hardest part in dealing with my wife’s health difficulties for me has been the loss of intimacy that was always a strong and vital part of our relationship.  I’m not necessarily talking about the physical intimacy, but more importantly, the intimacy of our communication together.  We have always been extremely close.  Since we had met we could always talk for hours on end, and we have always been able to be totally honest and upfront with each other.  Sometimes we didn’t even have to say a word to be able to share our thoughts and or needs with each other.  She has always been there for me, and I believe, me for her.  I cannot think of a day that has gone by where we did not express our love for one another. All those two or three day mini vacations together on the coast through the years, were like icing on the cake of our life together.

Well, I have to admit, that although it was different in many ways, our time alone at the Lodge this weekend was wonderful.  I think that Piper actually remembered being there before.  When we walked in to register she brightened up like a light!  Although she was pretty quiet the whole weekend, she smiled a lot and looked very contented.  She was even able to walk out on the bluffs that look over the beautiful Pacific Ocean just a few yards from our room.  We took some of the same pictures that we captured 37 years ago this month, and I shared many memories of our honeymoon stay with her throughout our current visit.  As we walked into the Lodge restaurant for breakfast, I whispered to her how I vividly recalled walking into that same room the first night of our arrival for our honeymoon dinner. 

My wife was wearing a short dress outfit that night and a beautiful large hat.  I felt like every eye in the crowded room turned toward her as we walked through to our table next to the window.  I think that I knew what it must feel like to be in heaven that night!  This Saturday morning also turned out to be pretty special.  While every eye in the place may not have turned to us, I was just as proud to be walking in with my beautiful wife.  She actually enjoyed a nice breakfast and we had a good time watching the waves, the birds and all the other scenes unique to the coastal community.

We also had a memorable time with the rest of her family when we gathered at their place together, but I’ll share a little bit on that aspect of our stay tomorrow.  The interesting thing was the peace and calm that both of us felt when we left and returned home.  Yesterday was a very relaxing day.  After saying good bye to JoAnna and Jeremiah who left for the airport in the wee hours of the morning, I returned to bed and slept in to almost 9:30!  Now, you have to understand how unusual that is for me.  I haven’t slept in that late, that peaceably for literally years!  Then later in the day my wife and I took a two hour nap!

The best part of the day and the event that totally highlighted our entire mini-vacation for me happened when my wife and I went to bed last night.  My wife had walked into the bedroom before me and sat down on the bed.  When I came in she looked up at me and said “You know what?”  Now once again, you have to understand the significance of this event.  My wife hasn’t spoken a complete sentence in months!  So I quickly stopped what I was doing and sat down on my knees in front of her and said “What?”  She then looked me right in the eyes and said “I love you!”

Wow!  In that instant I turned into jelly!  That little bit of communication totally revitalized my expectations of God’s faithfulness to us who commit ourselves to and believe in Him and His word.  How about you today?  How strong are your expectations toward Him.  Remember Hebrews 11:1 says that “Faith assures us of things we expect…” (God’s Word ©)  Maybe today is a good time for you to get your expectations revitalized in Him.  Take the test.  Go ahead and ask yourself: “What am I expecting today?”  And then closely examine your answers.  Be blessed and have a great day!