Here's How It Happened, Part One....

In a previous post, I told you about Melissa. Melissa is my hairdresser, but most importantly she is my friend.

Over the last few years we have gotten to know each other very well. We have a lot in common, the most important thing being our relationships with the Lord.

Melissa has had a very tough year. She has struggled in some areas in her life, and I have to say, she has conducted herself in a manner that I know is so pleasing to God.
I have been blessed to see her lean on God and trust Him through circumstances that I know have been truly difficult for her.

So, when I found out she was being taken on an amazing trip, I was so thrilled for her! She was going on the trip of a lifetime. Her aunt and uncle were treating her and her cousin to a dream vacation by any standard.

And not just any dream vacation, but my dream vacation. She was going on a trip that Shannon and I have both dreamed of going on one day.

But as I tell you she was going on my dream trip, I was absolutely so pleased that God had given the trip to her. I could not think of anybody that I thought deserved the trip more.

One evening, not long after finding out about her trip, Melissa called me to see how I was doing.....I was not doing well. (Let me just say that I am the mother of a twelve year old, and I'll leave it at that.) I had had a rough day. So when she asked how I was doing, I said, "I don't want to talk about me; tell me about your trip." I told her to tell me about all the places she would be seeing.

Melissa told me that she would be going to Washington, D.C. for three days, and then she would fly to New York. From New York she would fly to Madrid, Spain, then fly from Madrid to Rome, Italy. In Italy she would then get on a cruise ship for a twelve day cruise all over the Mediterranean Sea. The ship would stop in ports all over Italy, Croatia, France, and Spain. After getting off of the ship, they were going to stay in Rome, Italy for two days, and then take a train to Milan, Italy for two more days, then come home. In all she would be gone from home for twenty-four days.

I was so overwhelmed just hearing about it. I told her what a blessing God had given her with this opportunity to see some of the most beautiful places in the world. I was thrilled for her. I was also thrilled for me, because I thought about how cool it was that she would go before me; so that when Shannon and I could finally go, she could tell us all the things we would need to know before traveling.

I told her that I wanted her to do a few things for me while she was away. The number one thing was that I wanted her to write my name in the sand along the Mediterranean and take a picture of it for me. I loved the idea of my name being there; it would be like I was in that sand for a moment in time.:)

For days after hearing about this trip, I told everyone I knew about it. I was just so excited for her and this opportunity she had been blessed with. I was also so amazed at just how awesome our God is. He knew the tough year that she had gone through, and it was amazing to see Him honor her faithfulness. Such a blessing to witness!

About a week or so after Melissa told me about this adventure she was going to be embarking on, she called me.

She asked if I was sitting down...........