“When Two People Fall
in Love”
One
of the things our kids loved to do when they were younger was making up plays
and acting them out. They spent hours crafting props and dragging out old clothes
for their costumes. After a multitude of rehearsals they would call John and I
in to film the premiere performance. Years later those videos were the source
of much laughter at family get-togethers.
In November
2008 John and I hit the 20-year mark as husband and wife and “the kids” were
now between 18 and 30. Our youngest son was a senior in high school, and just one
month earlier we had celebrated the second marriage in our family. John’s
oldest daughter Summer, who had married an air force pilot the year before,
lived in Tucson, Arizona. Upon news of her husband’s deployment, Summer decided
to move in with us until it was time for her to join him overseas.
John Ryan & Lindsey's wedding
October 2008
As
our 20-year anniversary approached I felt like I should plan a celebration, but
timing and circumstances took away my hopes. John’s father had been having
numerous health issues all fall and subsequently passed away in November,
requiring a number of trips back and forth to western Minnesota. The kids all
had their own busy work schedules and it was a challenge to meet for dinner
with 55 miles of rush-hour traffic between us. Plus our anniversary fell on
Tuesday, two days before Thanksgiving. With John working in the supermarket
industry, the holidays were his busiest time of year. The long hours that
coincided with the season were made worse by the first snowfalls that already
graced the Minnesota landscape, lengthening his daily commutes.
When
Summer announced she would make dinner for us at home, I was thrilled. John and
I came home from work to the delicious aromas of baked rigatoni, salad, Artisan
bread, and chocolate-mint dessert. To our surprise, one by one the kids arrived
and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the best place of all—our home.
After
dinner Summer invited us downstairs where the kids proceeded to put on a skit
she wrote called, “When Two People Fall in Love.” The sweetness of the moment
brought tears to my eyes, filling me with emotion as they reenacted the scene
when John and I first met. I felt God saying, Despite the everyday stresses of life, don’t let the significance of
this day pass without acknowledgement. I want you to recognize My gifts, a gift
that includes bringing two families together and forming one, grounded in My
love. Not surprising, God used the
voices of our children to make sure I heard His message.
John and I...celebrating 20 years!
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