Love Really Does Come Softly

Yesterday Lester and I spent some much needed quality time together before his 24 hour shift today. We talked a lot about the things that we can anticipate will be a struggle this semester-among them time. According to some one of his teachers, careers in emergency services can be hard on marriages because often time, the husband spends more time with his co-workers then he does with his family, distancing the couple as they grow closer to others. This scares me and worries him, since we have already felt the strain that a bit since this semester has started. The good thing is that when we are apart the thing that remains no matter what the struggle is that we love and miss each other, and that we will be together forever; even if we miss each other for a while. This is just a season in our life, and an investment for us to be together later.

So as part of the night, Lester gave me a blessing of comfort and guidance. I have felt somewhat purposeless lately, and I needed to hear the words of someone who knows me and loves me better then myself. In it were exactly the words I needed to hear in my heart and mind, and I feel more purposed and better then I had. It was perfect. Because there were so many important things said in the blessing, Lester suggested that I write in down in a journal. I thought this was a good idea but I told him I didn't have one, and he suggested I use a red one that I hadn't written in for years. So I did. After recording these blessings, thoughts and feelings, I turned to the last entry, just to see who and where I was in life when I was last wrote. I laughed so hard, and maybe I teared up a bit to, but it was just another example of how the Lord is aware of me and how blessed I am to have Lester in my life. It said:

Nov. 7th 2004

Today is a good day. Yesterday was to. So much has happened since the last time I wrote. I don't know where I stopped writing though so ima try to focus on the here and now and catch you up.

Yesterday, Lester finally kissed me. It took him quite a while, but it was worth it...He is a good person. Im happy that he is mine.

I dont know how this all happened-all I know is that it was nice. I honestly hated him when I 1st met him. I dont even know how we became friends. Once again it just happened. I know there are so many girls who like him. I wonder why he chose me- why he likes me- it makes no sense. I guess its true what that movie my mom likes says. Love does come softly.

Obviously, I wasn't the deepest teen. But you know whats awesome? Both then AND now he CHOSE me and I CHOSE him. And that is what matters. We chose each other and we will continue to do that for the rest of our lives and eternities, in the easy times AND the hard.

But it was so fun being able to go back to my entry from that day and putting a PS to remind myself of how it worked out. It was like I wrote a letter to me, and now I could respond saying, "Don't worry Julia. Everything worked out-that boy you were talking about kissing? You guys got married. You actually graduated college. You are now looking for a job and preparing for what life will bring, be that time money, or best of all kids. You are happy and life is good."

He was the boy of my dreams then, and he is the man of my dreams now, even as I go to sleep without him tonight for the first time. Needless to say, I think I'm going to get back into journal writing.