This is my last post in this series; I need to move on to lighter topics, but I want to share just how important of an event this was and what a special person my mom was.

My mom was always nuturing of my relationships with girls to the point of getting out of the way so that my dates and my relationships could be mine (if that makes any sense).

But, perhaps one of the most important memories for me came two nights before my mom went out into eternity.  I had a crush on another girl in the chapter at that time (long story) and she was good friends with Melissa. My mom met both of them that evening and as they walked out I asked her, ‘So what did you think of her?’ She responded with ‘You mean Melissa?  She’s a really nice girl.’  I told her that she got it wrong and that I was thinking of the other one, but it was strangely prophetic given that Melissa and I hooked up and eventually got married.

That path had many good twists and turns throughout that fall at school (mostly coming from my lack of desire to date) and it was Urbana 96 that God used to meet me in a powerful way.

One of the songs we sang was ‘For all the saints’ *warning…midi on the other end of the link* which was really good and what reduced me to tears, just simply gushing tears was ‘Shelter (to every generation)’ and with that came just a tremendous amount of healing and perspective that God had a will and a desire for me as he did wth my mom and the countless generations before her.  The recording of that night was captured on the Worship CD from Urbana ’96.  I remember the worship leader saying ‘We’re going to continue to play as you leave as a prayer.  Not only have you received good news, but you have good news to tell’.  Indeed.

Well, Melissa and I started dating shortly after the convention and we were just confronted by the country of Ireland while we were there.  Ireland, for us, was our goal to live and work and influence the church and the people of Ireland.  It still is and many things have happened to hopefully prepare us for that someday. 

In the meantime, I will pause on Monday, breathe, and thank God for the woman I knew and the ways he has used her death to grow me into a mature follower of Jesus.

To God be glory forever.