Have you ever wondered if God could love someone like you? 
Here is a truth truer than true: 
Not only could he, 
But he does love you. 

A quick trip to the East Coast and back placed us in close proximity to some interesting people. A man from Singapore sat next to me on the flight home last night. He is as American as me. Business took him to the island nation and he never left. He has a daughter in Florida, another in California, and another on the island with him. 

His trip to Florida included surgery and a time of recovery. He will spend a few days in California this week and visit his daughter there before the nineteen-hour flight home. My new friend has been married twice but does not wear a ring now. He is at least a decade older than me. He takes care of one of his daughters and her children. 

We talked about our dogs and our grandchildren. He wept when he saw photos of our blonde-haired beauty riding her father’s shoulders at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Saturday evening. My bride and our three-month-old brown-eyed beauty led him to tears along with a groan of delight and grief.

We shared the views out the window next to my seat. We wondered together at the people seated all around us whose windows were closed. Where were their senses of wonder and delight? Did they not find the coastal flight path amazing? Did they not thrill at the sight of clouds forming and light reflecting from the surface of the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi Delta? 

Everyone has a story. Some pause long enough to ponder what’s next. A few at a time slow down and remember. Loss is re-experienced. Beauty is cherished. Liminal space – the great in-between – pulls in both directions, especially during the holiday season. 

So an aging tennis player and golfer ambles his way so far West he ends up in the East. Alone with himself, his losses, and his responsibilities at a time when he should enjoy all the goodness of a long life well lived, he weeps his way across the world. 

Everyone has a story. What’s yours?

Before this special week ends, how will you make it better, more beautiful, more wonderful, more enjoyable to remember in years to come?

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I will enjoy the beauty and wonder of life as I give thanks for God’s good and gracious gifts.

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