Jamie Lynne (God Moments)

This is my favorite picture of Jamie and me.  For two reasons.  First off, it captures the better side of my profile.  And secondly, because it says so much about us as individuals.  So much about us as a couple.  Me, always watching for rogue waves that never quite materialize.  And Jamie, just living life for the moment and trying to take hold of every second.  Very much opposites – but always holding tight when it comes to the big stuff.

We met in my 40^th year.  I had never married previously. So, not surprisingly, there’s a different picture of me in Webster’s.  They placed it next to the definition of “loser in love”.  Now, by my count, I dated a lot of women in my 20’s and 30’s. Actually, too many lots to count.  But the fingers on one hand are more than adequate to count the women that became special to me.  Nonetheless, my relationships can be described as short, far between, and inevitably ending with fond memories and a hurting heart.  And the really sad part in hindsight - I doubt that those special ladies would even characterize their time with me as a “relationship”.  So, at this point, I had pretty much accepted the fact that “love” simply wasn’t in God’s plan for me.  Although I confess that a degree of that acceptance was somewhat begrudging.

Now, there’s a part of me that would like to say that I walked through the door that first day, saw Jamie sitting at her desk, and it was love at first sight.  And part of me would like to say that I swept Jamie off her feet.  But I won’t insult your intelligence.  No, for a time, it seemed destined that this “relationship” would be like the others – ending before it even started.  The woman has brains.

And so it went for a time.  I once again resigned myself to being alone.  And perhaps I was even OK with that this time.  But God’s timing, His methods are unfathomable.  With the suddenness of a breaking wave He washed our lives with a deep, abiding love for one-another.   And boom, we were married.

Now, 21 years later, Jamie remains my best friend and confidant, help-mate and partner.  My love and my joy.  I can’t imagine life without her.

Sometimes, out of the blue, rogue waves wash over a life like a ton of bricks.