My Long-Overdue Story

How cool is God? I know that there are those among us who would take offense to the idea that God is "cool." He is so many things, and I just happen to like the word "cool" for this story.

Way back in the 1990's, while I was continuing my higher education, I had a room-mate. Not any old "pre-assigned" room-mate, mind you. A room-mate I CHOSE. Jeanna. We had known each other for a few years, we got along, and we both happened to think that everything was funny. Everything. I'm not joking people. We laughed at EVERYTHING. It was a fun few years! When she graduated and moved out, the apartment was a little quieter! She got married to her college sweetie, and I was able to be in her wedding. After I graduated (and married my college sweetie), we kept up with each other through Christmas cards and the occasional "hello-how-are-you" note. Want to see us in 1992? I knew you did.



Yes, I know. The hair... Big hair was still in, folks. We obviously had enough for the entire campus.



FAST FORWARD 12 YEARS...



I knew that her husband had been a minister, and I knew that they had eventually joined the Army. I knew he was a chaplain, and I knew they were living in South Carolina.

When my own husband decided that ministry was best carried out wearing combat boots, we were following in their footsteps. We even got to see them for about 5 minutes at Dan's "chaplain training graduation." They spent the next few years in Korea, and we headed off to California. We did not stay in touch as well as we should have, but that would have ruined my story. And the surprise.



FAST FORWARD 3 YEARS...



We (Dan and I) were working in Children's Sunday School (here at Ft. Bragg) one morning in August. I hear Dan calling my name, so I turn around... and there stands my roomie!!


Jeanna!!


It was that odd brain moment of "Why am I seeing THIS person in THIS place?!?"


"OH MY GOSH!"


We both shrieked and hugged each other and totally disrupted third grade Sunday School. She and her family had just arrived at Ft. Bragg from Korea. HOW COOL IS GOD?!?



Two months earlier, I'd left a great group of close girl-friends back in the desert, and I had yet to "reach out" to anyone new. The Army will do that to you. You either become SUPER-FRIEND MAKER or you tend to retreat into your own little world of unpacking and not putting yourself out there. I was retreating. It's often so hard to get to know people. Especially when you know you will have to leave them. I, honestly, had not prayed about finding new friends. I didn't want "new" friends.


So, God brought me an old friend.


(Jeanna, you are not old... I just meant I've known you for a long time.)



Wanna see us now? I knew you did.



Yep. Less hair. Lots less hair. (I am not bald, folks. I really do have some hair. It's just shorter now. It was a hot afternoon, and in this photo, I have apparently shoved it all behind my ears and sunglasses in an attempt to stay cool. Yikes.)

We have spent the last few months "catching up" on the last 15 years. Our husbands were buddies back in the day, too.



Yep. LOTS less hair, too. It's a job requirement. (Or so they say.)

And, we are all having a hoot of a time. Reminiscing and finding out how much we've changed and haven't changed. And, for the record, Jeanna and I STILL laugh at everything. EVERYTHING.

(For those of you wondering... the pictures were made on a hayride... in a wagon with a top and no hay. But I'll save that for another post. We're not in a school bus... even though it looks like it.)




By the way, I have made some "new" friends, too. They are great... all chaplain's wives. (We've decided there's safety in numbers.)

How cool is that.