Real Life Stories

My roommate and I were talking tonight about stories... all kinds.  I tend to talk a lot and tell stories when I'm in a good mood - and I've been in a great mood lately.  Probably because of her.  She cracks me up.  ALL the time!  Let me just give you a quick synopsis of our evening... we intended to get some homework done (we are both in grad school).  However, we watched two episodes of our favorite story... some old timey story about a teacher back in the early 1900's in a coal mining town.  :)  It's pretty much perfect. We competed at washing/drying the dishes together and laughed hysterically at far too many things. But then we got to talking about more important things.  Stories that really matter.  Love stories... of course!  What else is there?!?  (Kidding...well partially).

I shared the story about a girl named Janice who grew up around a guy named Matt.  They went to school together and they were great friends.  Matt had always pined for Janice, but Janice never saw him that way.  Matt pined for Janice so much that it was eating at him.  He knew he needed to get over her and move on, but he did something really beautiful. In his lowest moment he took all the Janice momentos and buried them... in her backyard.  He buried them by a tree so that he would know where to find them if he ever needed them again.

Well, wouldn't you know that one day, Janice saw Matt and she realized that everything had changed.  He was her match - she just hadn't seen it. So, the day before their wedding Matt dug up the box he had buried years before and he gave Janice all the letters that he had written for her.  The most beautiful part of the letters was that they started out addressed to his future wife, but as time grew on and the letters were more detailed, he addressed them to Janice. sigh. Now, that is some crazy awesome real life stuff. 

Seriously, who doesn't want to live like that?!?  That's what dreams are made of. Crazy living.  Bold.  Courageous. Heart wrenching. I mean, that takes guts.  Put your heart on the line.  Cry when it doesn't work out. Hope beyond what anyone else thought was possible - I mean why not?  I serve a God that is ALWAYS able.  And I think he totally delights in surprising us, because it brings him glory in the most beautiful way. 

So, my challenge to you.. my challenge to me: Live boldly.  Don't be afraid to invest your heart into that friend who you know before you get to know her will be moving in less than six months.  Go after that dream of owning a business and run it like a boss - because you can.  Treat marriage like the sacred covenant that it is... and don't let anyone including yourself steal away that precious gift that is meant for you and your spouse only. Love lavishly.  Give so much that you aren't sure where the next bill will be paid from. 

After telling my roommate about Matt & Janice she looked at me and said that there must be something in the water where I come from because apparently I am full of real life stories of people just like Matt and Janice who live boldly and reap the benefits of those dreams on a daily basis.  It's true.  I DO know people like that... a lot of them.  It's so much fun to live life with other really passionate people.  God can do so much through broken vessels who are willing to be used.  I also mentioned that people from Texas just have a cool motto:  Go big or go home!  Or at least that's my motto. 

If you're married, please do something so special to tell your spouse you love them.  If you are holding anything back from God, don't.  The only way to get closer to Him is by giving up another piece of yourself. And if you have been living in fear of something, let go of that fear, because there is only one worth fearing: God.  He made you, me, the heavens and everything else and believe it or not, he DOES care about our little needs.