***

Missing the earlier bus may have provided one of the highlights of my day. I got to spend my day surrounded by greatness; date morning with my amazing husband and a visit with some very special friends, and unexpectedly, the bus driver on the way home.

I hopped aboard the empty bus, the start of the line at a late hour. Not many know this, but bus drivers are often a treasure trove of interestingness. Most of the time I’m too selfish and irritable to take the time to partake of the rich stories they have to tell, but tonight was a glorious exception. We began to chat about how ridiculous Seattle drivers are. “It’s all the LA and New Yorkers coming in to escape the city, bringing all their bad habits,” he remarked, having seeing his fare share of craziness. ”Most people have policemen or firefighters in their family. We have bus drivers.”

And then he began to tell me his story. About his wife that he loved deeply. How she was number one in his life, only after God; how all his decisions revolved around loving her; how she knew he was safe to bring into all her decisions, because he would always put her best interests first; how she gracefully submitted, knowing she was the brightest star in his universe; and how they found out two months into their marriage that she had cancer with no chance of survival.

She died two years ago, but you would never know it by the respect and love that emanates from him when he talks about her. I wished the bus ride was longer to hear more. I left the bus, a big grin on my face for the encouragement, a lump in my throat for the end of what sounded like a beautiful marriage. The kind that I know we aspire to.

Cole has been doing much better job of blogging these days. Crazy times out here!

untilledsoil:

We always knew it would happen… or rather we’d like to say that we always knew that. But it’s happening. We have a house, we have many interested students. We need a little more cash and a little more furniture, (If you can help in either way please let us know) but it’s moving forward. God is moving. Amazing things are happening.

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Black Stumptown coffee

Cupped on this summer morn

Unadorned delight.