Sometimes I wonder why I do this. I love sunrise! Why do I torture myself with staying up WAY too late - and to do something as meaningless as writing a blog? Well... I really don't know! But since I am up, I'll write!
This week my new friend, Paula, married the friend of a friend, Joby, in a beautiful, wintery ceremony. I met Paula through the church I've been attending this semester. I love her! Seriously, I've maybe had 3 conversations with her, but I'm telling you, this girl has CHARACTER and CLASS! She's beautiful inside and out, and the kind of person I want to emulate. I don't know Joby, but I know his relatives and they're awesome, so I'm pretty sure they make a great couple.
But I don't want to dwell on the sappy-romantic love for the moment, I want to brag about the love I witnessed among my church family this week. Paula and Joby were anticipating about 500 guests, or so I heard. I can't even imagine putting on a wedding expecting 500 people. It sounds fun, but also like a LOT of work! And it was, from what I saw, but where it could have been a MASSIVE amount of work for one person or one family, the people in my church seemed to ALL turn out to help, spreading the work out over many, many hands.
I was at the church for a couple hours on Thursday afternoon, and loads of people were there - putting together bouquets, decorating the reception hall, organizing the food, planning the flow of traffic, etc. I didn't do much other than sit around and smile at people, but people had given up their day (or multiple days!) to help Paula's family pull everything together. It was an absolutely beautiful demonstration of love for this young lady who they have invested in and watched develop into the woman of God that she is. What a legacy - what a heritage! There's a song that states, "They will know we are Christians by our Love." That rang loud and clear! Also Jesus's words, "A new commandment I give to you, to love one another as I have loved you." I am honored to have witnessed and been even a small part of this event.
In other news, my friend Laura called today from Rome (while I was in Costco shopping - I found a chair in a corner and sat for 45 minutes to chat!). She found out that she's going to have another boy, so my "Favorite Friday Night Date" Everett is going to have a little brother!!! I know Laura was hoping for a girl, but she said that Ev is thrilled, which is also great! I'm thankful to be back here in the NW and enjoying all the "American" things, but I also cannot help missing Rome and my friends there. I wish I could be there also - playing games with Ev, wandering through cobblestone streets at midnight after the tourists have disappeared, having adventures on the public transit, popping into the neighborhood cafe to have uno cappucino e cornetto, and run up the stairs to Santa Maria in Areacoli or through the ancient road past the Colosseum at sunrise. Sometimes I hate how love can divide my heart and make it feel whole all at one time. This must be a small reflection of what it's like to be a parent!
My sister's friend (and by default AND deliberate choice, my friend now too!) Kinzi has a CD that she gave Heath that I swiped... One of her great songs is playing:
"Come now, just let it go, let it fall down, let it all flow, the water is crashing in over your soul till there's nothing left, won't you come to me and rest." Sometimes when I experience this conflict of life, choices, dreams, desires, preferences, responsibilities, possibilities, that's all I can really do - rest in the presence of the one who invites me, "As you are, dirty and broken, with all your scars, from all the unspoken, with all the words that you wanted to say but you locked them away inside..."
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