A Brief Moment In Time.

It's strange how God can send someone into your life for a short time, yet they set in motion something that changes your life forever. I was cleaning out the yard barn today, and I came across some pictures from the first real date my wife and I had. It was a picture of our group that went to the winter formal of our freshman year of college. It was an important event in my life, and it would never have happened were it not for Deb.

Deb was a mutual friend of Alicia and I. She invited me to a birthday party in her dorm room, and I tried to beg off, as I was fighting the flu at the time. Deb was persistent, though, and she and her roomate prevailed upon me to come over, which I did. That was where I met Alicia. I felt the spark right away, but I was pretty shy at the time, and might not have pursued the attraction. A few days later, Deb mentioned the Winter Whispers dance to me, and asked if I planned to go; I said no, I wasn't into that sort of thing. She said that Alicia was going to go with another friend, but was really interested in me. Besides, she said, I could go stag and watch all the silly people, since that's what Deb was going to do herself.

As I said, Deb was persistent, and I ended up going. I'm glad now that I did, even though I still don't care for dances. Alicia and I spent most of the night dancing and talking, and her date sat smiling at the table with Deb. I have no doubt now that they planned the whole thing. After the dance Alicia and I shared our first kiss, and the rest, as they say, is history.

We had not seen Deb since we graduated, and we learned a few years ago that she had passed away. She was a Christian, and we'll see her again someday when we all go home to the Lord, but I'll never forget what she did for me during the brief time she spent in my life. Thanks, Deb.