This weekend, Michael and I had the pleasure to venturing to the middle of Kansas to spend time with Michael's parents and all of their older relatives that live there, at the Villa :) This will be my family! Now most of you know how crazy I am about my family. Where we will live is determined by God alone, but we sure hope that we end up very close to some sort of family. I am constantly calling, texting, or facebooking family, wishing I could be home or they could come to visit (and they will, in two weeks and I'm SO excited!!!!!). The fact that I get to be a part of a new family, without giving up my original family, just boggles my mind. Sure, that means less time with each individually, but that means more time with those that are stuck with me, and I with them. That means more to encourage and serve and host and just enjoy. Rick and Karen are an absolutely wonderful example of a Godly couple that sure is different (Michael is VERY similar to his mom, and I, as his mom pointed out, am scary similar to his dad) but loves and respects unconditionally, and cares enough about us as a couple to write us letters of encouragement and "force" us to sit down and watch the Love&Respect series with them. I only hope that we can someday be half as Godly and committed as they are. Whenever we go to Kansas, we have the privelege of greeting all the grandmothers and grandfathers (and great aunts and great uncles and some cousins, and all the siblings of the aforementioned, numbering over 20 relatives!). Other than hanging out with my Gramsie, I have never seen such cute older people with such big grins on their faces! Even if we just stopped by for a minute at 7pm when they were in their nighties, their apartments a wreck (or so they claim), they were absolutely ecstatic just to be able to see us. I don't know who was more excited...them or me! I wished that I could just go hang out with them, hear their stories, laugh with them, and encourage them by listening. Michael practically had to drag me out of there, and I only left willingly because I know that we'll be back for many years to come :) In many of the older women's rooms, in the small predominantly-Mennonite town, one thing that really stuck out to me was all the "spiritual" books sitting around-- books about God's power and grace and majesty and commandments. Many of these relatives have lived well into their 90's, a great feat in itself, but one that greatly impressed me was Ruth, Michael's Grandma's brother's wife's sister, who was 92 and the most smiley last I've met. There she was, sitting in church across the aisle. She walked up to me and gave me a hug, before Michael even introduced me. She was totally coherent and smart as a wit, but caring as a cucumber. I know that by God's grace alone, if I make it to that age, I can be as smiley as Ruth, because I will follow my Savior and walk by His power, and continue to be faithful. I not only want a big wedding, one professing, proclaiming, but exclaiming the truth of God, but I want to live a big life.
On a lighter note, part of the Love&Respect series talked about how men love to see their women dress up for them, treat them with more respect than their friends when the ladies go out on the town. Today I have been resting, not feeling quite well. Michael called and wants to come pick me up to just be together while he does homework. So I go, I love, I remain almost silent, serving him, with big hair :D not because I will get something in return, but because God's love is greater than any other, and I am here, I was created to love, which is to serve :D
