Monday, April 5, 2010

Memorial Box Monday: Easter Blessings and Miracles


This past weekend we traveled down to Downingtown PA to celebrate Easter with my bestest college buddy, Kim, and her husband Henry. We went down on Thursday afternoon, which was the FIRST blessing. On a whim I asked my boss if there was a spare driver with no run, and there WAS...so I did not drive my last run, instead we were able to leave for PA at 3PM instead of 5...which got us in at 9, MUCH nicer than 11 or more!

On Friday we went to visit a family I met on line. They have 3 girls from China, all around Shao's age. When I found out they live near Kim, we decided to go visit, and it's been the tradition ever since, for about 4 or 5 years now. We walk in the door and it's if we had never left. I LOVE that kind of connection. And we don't just VISIT! Wayne is a fantastic chef, mainly of Chinese food! And this year? Well, he outdid himself! He had a printed up sheet of each course, and there were TWENTY of them! NO LIE!!!!! We only got through 16...and that was with leaving the table after several hours, and then coming back to polish off 3 more! :) YOWSER!!!!!

On Saturday Uncle Henry swept ShaoXi off to go shopping for an Easter outfit. Very secretive about all the plans. Kim & I went shopping too, and when we got home, ShaoXi gave us a fashion show. Let me tell you...her Easter dress was drop dead gorgeous! I will try to download a picture! After buying the dress, then going shoe shopping, Henry took her to Gordon's Jewelry Store. And bought her a real pearl necklace, bracelet and earrings. And THEN they had their first fight. And Henry won. He wanted to buy her a beautiful sapphire/diamond necklace and earrings set, and Shao, ever the thrifty one, felt it was too much. It is beautiful. She felt like a princess, and very, very loved! This by a man who is not really INTO kids. But oh, my, does he love my girl! :)

On Sunday we went to church. Henry guided us to a row about 5 back from the front. I usually sit farther up. So I groused a little about being "so far back," and then acquiesed and filed in first. Soon, from the other aisle, a man came and sat next to me, and then two young ladies a little while after. After singing several songs, we greeted all around us, and then sat down. And the pastor then said there was a "friendship pad" at the end of the pew, please fill it out, and pass it down. The man filled it out and passed it to me, and I flipped it open to sign. And gasped. And looked in right in the eye and said, "MARK STROHM????" He said yes, and I pointed to myself and said "NANCY JOHNSON!" His reply was "THE Nancy Johnson???" We hugged, I cried, I laughed. Oh, it was wonderful!!!!

You see, Mark and his wife Ellen had been my dear friends when I was teaching kindergarten at Christian Life Academy in Brookfield CT. Actually, Mark was the principal/director there, and he was the one who interviewed and instantly hired me! And the week I moved up from PA to CT, Ellen gave birth to their 3rd child, little Julie. I fell totally in love with this family, and with their kids. Andy was maybe 3 or 4, Allie was barely 2, and then baby Julie. I was their babysitter, and more. I hung out at the Strohm home all the time. We were good friends. And then they moved to VA, for Mark to get his masters. And I visited them once...on the way down, I stopped at Kim's to drop off my kittens for her to care for...and then they moved again, to Illinois. We talked once in awhile, and then...lost touch. I would say about 18 years ago. This...THIS was my Easter miracle. I cannot tell you HOW many times I have looked at their IL address in my book, and felt sad. THEN GOD!!!!

Anyhow...come to find out...they had left IL about 7 years ago and moved to PA...and had been attending Kim & Henry's church for all of that time. When I went to introduce Kim and Henry to them, I only got a word or two out when they were all "Hi, Kim, how is your recovery going?" (she recently had some surgery!) THEY KNOW EACH OTHER!!! How wierd and wonderful and just like God to do this, is THAT?!?!?!? And Mark has a sister who lives in my town...and they come here all the time. Do ya think we will be getting together? Oh, you betcha!!!! :)

I have Ellen's business card, and it will go in my Memorial Box...at least I won't lose it then! So to say I had a great weekend would be quite the understatement! Thank you Father for ALL that You did this weekend. But of course, most of all, thank You for what you did 2000 years ago, on the cross. That is the greatest gift of all!!!

Blessings...Nancy

2 comments:

  1. Wow! What a wonderful Easter surprise for you all....Just goes to show how much God loves us and desires us to be filled with joy!!

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  2. I love what a wonderfully intricate world God's created! What a blessing!!! :)

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