I’ve been through some losses in my life. And so have you. I’ve had joy and I’ve had sorrow, disappointment.

Today, I’d like to talk about the joy. This week, we celebrated a special date on our calendar. Our first date, September 4, 2013. When I walked into that busy coffee shop six years ago, I told myself not to expect much, for of course I’d had disappointments in first meetings before.

This time was different. Right away, we connected. I liked Jim’s smile. He was easy to talk to and seemed interested in me, not telling me all about himself–even though I wanted to know more about him. We easily chatted about any and everything.

Not long after he got my cappuccino, he asked about the book I’d written. I told him and immediately, he opened his computer and ordered my book on Amazon. “I’ll get it in two days,” he said.

Our conversation on that first meeting lasted more than two hours. We found we had so much in common. Before parting that sunny September day, Jim asked, “Could we meet again?”

“Yes,” I said.

Our relationship moved very quickly after that. We both knew what we wanted and we didn’t want to waste any time. The rest is history.

What happened to us may not happen to you.

I know life is impermanent and none of us know what’s around the next bend. Jim and I hope and anticipate many more days together, but there’s no guarantee. I just read about a fatal car accident just up the street from where we live. At least once a day, we drive through that intersection–it’s our main route to nearly every place we go.

We don’t know when some troubling symptoms come up and what it might reveal–we’re fragile human beings with a life span. But we can’t live our lives in fear all the time so we choose to enjoy the moments we have together.

Yesterday, Jim surprised me with flowers. “Six for six,” he said.

This morning, I read a verse that grabbed my attention. It said, they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing; (Hebrews 11:1). What stood out was the middle of the verse, but you remain. I checked the verse in multiple translations and they all had that middle part.  ….but you remain. 

I couldn’t face life if I didn’t have the hope of that promise. I don’t know where you are or what’s going on right now in your life, but it’s my hope you know that verse is true. He is there. Or, as the verse says, but you remain.