Where life begins

"Where land ends, life begins."~Unknown




What happens when you let go of life as you know it and set sail on the open sea? You could hit rough waters. You may get blown off course. Or, like I did, you just might find yourself stranded on an incredible island with an absolutely amazing guy.

Well, stranded might be a strong word especially considering we had a reservation. But hey - it sounded good lol! I grew up in Cleveland but I had never been to Ohio's islands. When we heard that Wayne's brothers' band Cocktail Johnny was playing in Put-in-bay, we knew we couldn't pass up the opportunity. I knew we were going to have a great time. I just didn't know how great. So how does a seemingly wonderful trip turn into something spectacular? By putting it into God's hands.

Let me back up just a little. Last summer, in the midst of my divorce, a friend of mine told me about her journey. I won't go into details because that is her story to tell. I can tell you that she wasn't in the right place with God in her relationships and decided to give it over to Him. Right after that she met the wonderful man that is her husband.

You may know that I put my move, my job search and my kids into God's hands. I took a huge leap knowing that He would catch us. I didn't, however, give him control of my relationships. I mean, why burden Him with such a small thing. He made our journey great. The least I could do was handle this part of my life.

Truth be told, I didn't want him to have control. I knew some of the choices I was making weren't the best. I figured I could keep control of this with no repercussions. Probably a good reason for my lousy dates. God was making a point. He definitely was preparing me. Tempering me as He always does when He wants to make me stronger.

But instead of a difficult trial like I would have expected as a consequence, He gave me someone amazing. A great man, one that knows the true definition of the word. Strong, protective, tender, caring. Knows just the right things to say and do. Just the right balance of family and personal life with a large shift towards family. One that isn't shocked by a night of soccer and karate but actually wants to go for ice cream afterwards. One that not only puts up with the chaos at the zoo, but actually suggests the trip.

One that takes me to an island. No, it wasn't Fiji. It was soooo much better. It's home. Not Cleveland, but almost. On my lake. The one I grew up on. The one that already holds so many memories for me. We jet off to the island with the breeze blowing through our hair. Set sail into the deep blue that we are so familiar with. There's always a point when away from shore when all you can see is water. The point when you have to let go of all that you know and trust. Trust that the boat will not sink. Trust that the captain is going to take you the right destination. In the same way I finally gave up control to God. I let him choose the right person. I let him choose where the compass was going to point. And just as I did, Wayne sailed into my life. What makes it even more amazing is that Wayne did exactly the same thing. He says that God delivered him an angel. And that's exactly how he makes me feel.

So, what do you do when God brings such an incredible person into your life? You let go of the anchor. Raise the sails. Put the boat on autopilot (or God pilot in our case). And head to the front of the boat so you can feel the breeze in your hair and the spray of the waves on your face. Brace for the rough waters knowing you are in for the ride of your life. And cherishing every exciting moment of it.

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