Some Dreams Do Come True....First and foremost, if you haven't already read the blog post "Follow Your Heart" from October 14, 2012....STOP right here and do that first.
SERIOUSLY....You'll want to read that before proceeding. :)
Alright, if you've read that post....proceed with caution as you might not want to drink anything while perusing this entry, especially if you're the spit your drink out all over the computer when something is funny type. This is a story that brings about a bit of, well....humor for some at certain points.
The blog entry "Follow Your Heart" is one that continuously comes up for me time and time again. It has done so more times than I can count over the years. When it comes up, there is this feeling inside that tells me to just go and talk to him. But, the timing has never been right. Obviously, the appropriateness of such a conversation would not have been okay during times that either one of us were married. That was a given so why then did it keep coming up over and over and over again? Well, obviously I've been divorced for some time now and I had no idea where he was in his life anymore. But, this voice continued to pursue....and it got louder and louder.
This past Sunday, that voice started screaming at me again. I knew I had to do something. On Monday, I discovered that he was no longer married. And, on Tuesday something came over me that I can not fully explain. I'm not a spontaneous type person at all. In fact, I have to plan out my spontaneity if that gives you any idea. But, Tuesday was very different. That voice would not cease. And, I had this huge debate going on in my head....the whole go vs. stay debate. And, there were reasons for both though the ones to go far outweighed the latter. One of the biggest reservations revolved around my uncertainty that he was even living in the same location anymore since all of his other information had changed and since I had sent him mail over the years and received no response. But, the ultimate decision was made and off I went, vulnerability and all.
The five hour drive gave plenty of time for thought and plenty of time for nerves to come into
play but to my own surprise, I remained very calm. There was this overwhelming sense that this was right. The timing was right. And, no matter the outcome it needed to be done at this point. My fears that I could not locate him or that he would be out of town or unwilling to talk were the only things getting in my way.
And, so it came to be that I was at his last known address. Interestingly, there was someone I caught a glimpse of in the back yard that ran into the house when I pulled up. It was not him. The car in the drive was not his and I was a little nervous at that point. No one answered the door. I banged....the dog barked, but no one would answer. Could this really be happening? Was he there, looking through the peep hole and saying, "Oh no...no way." Or was this a new person's home now?
What transpired after this is way out of character for me. I left a note on the door. I flagged down a neighbor to see if they knew whether or not he was still there. She knew him but had not seen in some time so she could not say for certain. I went to another neighbor's house and they had literally just moved in that day. And, so I sat in my van a little let down but determined not to give up. I had already tried several ways of trying to verify his location prior to this trip to no avail but in that moment in the van, I became thankful for facebook and the many connections it grants in my life today.
I reached out to some cop friends in that area to see if they could assist. Unfortunately, the timing did not work out as they were unavailable to do so at that hour. So, I decided to start my journey to some friends that had opened their home for me this evening. In route to their house, I saw a cop and decided to pull him over!
YES!!! You read that right....I pulled him over! Who is this girl?....:) I told him that I drove 5 hours today to meet this friend and was not sure he still lived in the same location and asked if he could verify his current address.
Of course he was a little hesitant at first. I received many standard questions like, "Is this a domestic issue? Is he an ex? Does he owe you money?" No, no, no....and at first I gave him nothing more than we were friends and had been out of touch for years. He could only do so much because it was not even his jurisdiction. And, what he could find was no more than what I already knew. Anything beyond that would require court orders.
My heart was sinking and this cop asked me what the visit was about. The one word that popped out of my mouth before I even realized it was, "LOVE". One sentence followed that word and this cop looked at me....a look that said it all, smiled, and quickly said...."Hang on." He wanted this to happen!
He got on the phone with his "friends" in the other jurisdiction. Because they were unable to verify anything further, they went out to this last known address. They banged on the door and received no response. They ran the tag of that car in the drive and discovered it was a relative. But, what did that mean? We still were not 100% sure.
This cop went the extra mile to help and we thought this was the end of the road but as I was about to drive away, he pulled me over to say they went out again and found him. HE'S THERE!!! And, he has your information now. I was a little baffled at this point because this cop that so desperately wanted to help me follow this dream was not sure if he was willing to talk to me or not. And, so I drove away....heading to my friend's home and wandering if this was the end of the road.
Not two seconds down the road, my phone rang. And, there he was!!! Of course, he thought I was dying since the cops had come beat on his door to track him down for me but as it turns out....the three letters I had sent him over the course of these years we've been out of touch were never received. He thought it was me that dropped off the face of the earth. WOW!
The following day was filled with some catch up and that moment of realizm when I shared my heart with him and the struggle I battled on my wedding day. The words that followed my sharing could not have been any more amazing. It was mutual. Yes.................What could be greater to hear in this moment than those precious words. It was mutual!
We pretty much picked up where we left off all those years ago and will likely laugh about the cops and that whole story from here on. The cop that helped me, turned the tables and tracked me down later to ask how things went because of his own curiosity. All the cops that were involved in that process were quite happy and are likely sharing this story amongst others themselves.
This is the kind of story I've only read about before and it's happening in reality. What a blessing and a gift. It follows up on that lesson I learned so long ago....follow your heart. I did it this time....I listened. And, though "something" took over me that gave me a boldness I can not explain I am grateful because the outcome was worth every step. Whatever the future may hold does not take away from the growth that resulted in this process. Thank you, Lord! And, thank you to the cop with a heart and those that joined in to make this possible.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him,
and he will make your paths straight.
