I Met Her a Year Ago … Oh How Things Have Changed

Tiffany Sheffield … a young, beautiful, strong woman who rolled into my life through a close relative’s connection. I sat down with her, along with my wife and my first born … at one of my favorite brisket places – Hard 8. We discussed life, God, and her plans for my son. In two weeks from today, she will share wedding vows with him.

Sooo … a lot has happened in 12 months. I moved 5 states away the day after our dinner, she visited once – just once, her and Calvin have taken the first steps in a life long journey together, and lots of prayers have been raised for her, for her wisdom, her peace, her strength, her walk, her patience with my 28 year old goober of a first born.

We hiked Old Rag together, got caught in a storm, stayed connected through social media, visited my mother (Calvin’s grandmother), and have come to a mutual acceptance that soon we will be related. I am excited, not so sure about her. After all, only visited once.

To my readers … how in anyway does this keep you reading. Maybe you need a reminder that sometimes people come in to your life and go out. Sometimes people come in and take up residence. Sometimes we have choice, sometimes we don’t.

No,matter how they come across your path, you have unique opportunity to be a blessing to them. Maybe a passing smile, a simple opening of a door, or helping them return a grocery cart to the cart collector. Yesterday, I greeted two young guys playing basketball at our church … with a flat basketball (that’s all was out there). So I got my air pump and let them use it. Simple, no strings, random kindness.

I challenged Tiffany 52 weeks ago …

Make a difference – leave a mark.

I keep challenging her, and myself, and everyone the same thing.

Tiffany, I will leave any crazy and heart tugging words for the approaching day of nuptials. But today, one year to the date after I met you, I say that I am glad you are in our lives. And even if only one visit a year … I’ll take it. It makes the rest of the year seem that much brighter, that much more special, and that much more full of love.

But I also repeat what I said last year …

I will be watching you and if I find that you are trying to corrupt my first born child, I will bring you down, baby. I will bring you down to Chinatown.