This is really lovely. Please read it.
Last night, over a slice of raspberry lemon cheesecake, a friend and I reminisced over lost loves and missed opportunities. Bittersweet though such memories are, please know that the glass I raised for you was full of grace and good wishes (technically decaf . . . but, metaphorically, grace).
One day, when I was frustrated at myself over something I can no longer remember and making some unfunny self-deprecating jokes, you grabbed my hand, looked me earnestly in the eye, and said: "Em, no one talks to my girlfriend that way. Not even my girlfriend." Those simple words showed me what it felt like to be protected by someone who had my best interests at heart, and though they didn't keep us together, they have kept my heart from making a thousand bad decisions since. Thank you.
I'm glad you have new fodder for your sermon illustrations. So, though I doubt you will ever see this, I want you to know that I'm so very happy for you and for your happily ever after.
Both stories are so bitter and sweet. They made me realize that grace really doesn't make sense. It's just a realization that even in really hard (and unfathonable) times, there is still a semblance of goodness.
ReplyDeleteThere's so, so much goodness, Marg. Welcome back to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you weren't as harsh with that piece as many others were. Very touching.
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