I had one of the most beautiful blessed experiences this morning and I have to share it with you all. God is so Good, Always.

I was awoken by the alarm clock at 3 am., struggled to get my lazy bones out of the bed to get ready for work. See I was going into the office early today for a very special reason. My dear friend was stopping by my house so I could drive her and her children to the airport as they were going on a very special trip.

They were going to Hawaii. Oh you say Hawaii, how awesome. But see it is even more special than that, my dear friend was going there to meet her husband and the daddy of her children. He has been the Chaplain on Duty in Afganistan since June. He has been in the “sandbox” as he jokingly calls it since June and his tour is to last a total of fifteen months (which has already been extended). He has a two week leave, the kids are doing well in school, and so they get to meet half way in Hawaii. My friends are in my top 10 list, as a Sister Chick and chmtklein. They married my husband and me three years ago. Sister Chick is a mentor I truly look up to hopefully growing up to be someday.

I know this doesn’t sound very special to most, but to me it is simply beautiful. I see and hear love, God’s pure love, from this family that I can’t even do justice on this blog describing to you. But I will try. If you get a chance check out Sister Chickss blog about the Mom Song, you will truly see her soul.

See my dear friend was so excited. She felt as if she was a bride about to be married for the first time. They have been for twenty something years. It was so exciting and beautiful to listen to her giddiness. She carried on more than my teenagers about her love.

Then of course the older children were just so excited they could burst. But it was the baby who just had me in tears today. See she had a “daddy doll” it is a long pillow in the shape of a man with the fabric made of a picture of your dad in his military BDUs. I remember a couple of weeks prior to today when I was visiting she was asked to take a nap. When her mother gave her the “daddy doll” to cuddle with she threw it down in disgust. Today, she waved it every so proudly. “We are getting to see daddy tomorrow”.

I lost it on the drive from the airport to the office…. The abounding love, the sacrifice of soldiers and their families, God’s promises, family and sticking together a myriad of emotions filled the car. What a blessed country we are to have such fine families serving us. Thank you God!

My mind raced as I thought of everything I was grateful for and particularly being blessed to see that one moment of time in my friend’s life. Then my mind turned to being grateful that my husband returned home safely a year ago.   

Please say a short prayer for all our soldiers out there and their families. It is so hard around the holidays to cheerfully serve. But they do serve and sacrifice ever so graciously.