The Blessing Counter: Just a boy and a girl in a little canoe...

Once upon a time, a young idealistic girl met with the beloved director of her college ministry:

"What if I never meet the man I am supposed to marry?" Young girl implored.

"What if that never ever happens for me?" young girl practically cried.

Wonderful, calm, wise BSU Director placed a calming hand on young girl's shoulder and reminded her that God knew the desires of her heart....and besides, she was only a college freshman.

Sigh.

Barely a year would pass before young girl knew she had already met the one God had carved out just for her. And in her idealistic, naive, maybe-watched-too-many-soap-operas-as-a-teen way, she began to paint the images she was certain would fill their future.

The picket-fence, perfect lawn and three (there was some debate on this point) kids and a dog were imagined in great detail. Our dreams were outlined, modified, expounded during our late late night talks sitting outside the Chapel of Memories on our beloved Mississippi State campus. Young journalist marries brilliant Aerospace Engineer. Our future looked bright. Our dreams attainable.

I can hardly believe that tomorrow that young dreamy-eyed girl and that brilliant boy will celebrate 24 years of marriage. Twenty-four years!

I have to chuckle as I envision our well-laid road map for life at 20 years old.

We have ridden some hard roads in our journey -- roads that we paved with tears when my Daddy died two years into our marriage; roads that we paved with bold courage when we packed all our belongings and moved to Chicago for medical school; roads that we paved with determination and hope when God chose to give us three babies at one time; roads that we paved with joy and grief when our boys were diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.

And yet, we have held on tight for the ride. We committed to sharing our dreams long before we stood in that church on May 18, 1991.

I would be dishonest if I told you the road map of our 24 years looked like we planned it to sitting side by side drawing our future all those years ago. It doesn't. Most days it would not even be recognizable to those dreamy-eyed kids.

Instead, God in His brilliance, tethered us together in marriage, in commitment to one another and then He wrote a story that only the creator of the universe could write. He drew a road map that doesn't necessarily give me all the details about tomorrow -- but man, the todays are more amazing that my imaginings ever could be!

Even as we celebrate this year, we do so in an empty house, sleeping on inflatable mattresses because all our belongings have already made the move to Mississippi, our new home. Because in this, our 24th year of marriage, we will come full circle as we return to where it all began and begin again.

And so I have absolutely no idea what this year will hold. No idea. The creator of our road map only gives me the slightest glimpse at what is to come. But this, this I know: I will walk whatever road we travel beside the one chosen just for me.