We're Still Celebrating

Twenty-seven months ago, I woke up with suppressed excitement. I wondered if the guy I’d been matched up with would call me and ask for a date. We communicated via email. I’d googled him, saw several photographs, read his family tree. Mostly what I liked about Jim were his expressions of love and commitment toward his grown children and grandchildren. I really liked reading about his relationship with God.  Although his profile didn’t say he was a widower, I believed he was by what he said. Now we needed to meet face to face. I’d been excited to meet someone I'd met on-line before, only to be flatly disappointed upon meeting them in the flesh. Yet, I’m an optimist and expected this guy might be someone I’d like—and maybe even love!

Later in the morning, I was in a meeting and couldn’t take a phone call. It was Jim, calling to see if we could meet for coffee later in the day. I listened to his voice. It was enthusiastic, though he sounded nervous and said he was. I liked his positiveness. I called back and we agreed to meet later in the day. At Starbucks in Portland, midpoint between my home in Vancouver, and his in the Portland area. 

Jim was everything I hoped he’d be—and more! We talked for hours in that noisy coffee shop. And Jim made arrangements to meet again in a few days. AND, he asked for the name of my book, Second Chances, At Life and Love, With Hope. He was the first and only guy who asked what the name of the book was. And right there, on his computer, he ordered it!

This is a reenactment of our first date, 24 months later

Things moved rather quickly after that. Jim got my book two days later, sat down, and didn’t get up from his chair until he read it cover to cover. I heard my cell phone chime at 8:30 that Saturday evening. It was Jim. “Shirley, I just finished your book. Wow! I wish I could come over and just give you a big hug.” He repeated himself several times, and finally, I said,

“You can come over if you want to make the drive.” 

“I really would like to,” he said. 

Things moved quickly after that. But I’m going to leave you waiting to see what happens next. It’s all in the book that is being launched tomorrow evening. 

www.shirleymozena.com

There's so much more to this story and more than that, my love story with my Savior, Jesus Christ. He's been in my life since I was a little girl and He has never failed to be near me. Sometimes it didn't feel like it. But He was there. When I joyously took my vows with my first husband, Bill--and through the forty years we were together--some good, some hard, some exciting, and at the end, no regrets. He was there when I fell in love and married Blair. He was with me when after only 17 months  Blair became very ill and died of a brain aneurysm. He was there when I was alone and my heart was broken. 

It was four years before God brought Jim and I together. We look at each other every day and thank God for the gift of our marriage. Magically, we've learned so many lessons from our previous marriages that our life together is nearly seamless and beautiful. We don't know the future, but we make every day a celebration. 

Today, we'll commemorate  the 27 months we've known each other. On Monday, we'll celebrate our second wedding anniversary. And in between, we'll thank God for the gift of each other. 

" ...Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10b

We are celebrating. Daily. We know not the future, only God does. But we know the maker of the future and that is enough.

Enjoying Brooklyn, but mostly each other