A Special Day

Apologies for the extended hiatus from blogging but if there is any day worthy of a new post it would
be today. Today marks 16 years or marriage-- but perhaps more importantly, it marks just over 5 years since Kim entered remission -- so that makes this anniversary extra special. In celebration of this day I thought it would be appropriate to share a “God story” about one of my favorite pictures of us.

The picture below was taken in June of 2011 on Kaanapali Beach in Maui. It was our 10 year anniversary and we had returned to the exact same spot of our honeymoon.  As we walked that sandy beach, basking in a glorious sunset, our hearts were so full. Little did we know that Kim had a tumor growing in her chest.

Kaanapali Beach, Maui (June 7, 2011)

Seven months later we found ourselves in the ER, due to a persistent cough and stomach pains. Kim stayed overnight for a battery of tests with a gastroenterologist and the next morning when I saw her she had just awakened from being sedated.

She was weeping. Uncontrollably. 

We were both mystified as to why she was so emotional. We thought we were just dealing with an ulcer. In our minds, we'd get some meds and get back home to our three young kids. 

When she finally gathered herself, she said she had this vivid dream when she went under. She dreamed that we were walking on a beach, hand in hand, watching the sunset. She dreamed of the exact moment captured in this picture. The next day we discovered she was in stage 4 of a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma -- and that story is well-documented in this blog.

However, what I've never shared before is that a year later we went back to that same hospital for a checkup and this time a different doctor greeted us. Although we had never met before, it was obvious he knew who Kim was.  He began telling us about how when Kim first checked in a year earlier, the medical staff had no idea what they were dealing with. After she went under, they tried to look into her stomach with a scope and in his words, she immediately began to “wig out”. 

They almost lost her.

By the look on our faces, he immediately realized that he had shared too much. He got quiet and quickly left the room. He didn’t know that we didn't know -- she was only inches away from death that day. 

Suddenly, it all began to make sense...

Why all the gastro doctors knew who she was. 

Why she was weeping when she woke up that day. 

Why she had a vision of that beautiful sunset evening.

We had no idea when she lying down for some tests she was actually standing on the edge of eternity. I love that when we were so close to being separated -- her heart went towards us. 

But most of all, I love this pic because the sun is centered right between us and we are both gazing and walking towards it. 

I hope each new day on earth would be seen as a gift from heaven. 
I hope our remaining moments are spent walking hand-in-hand towards Jesus. 
I hope that He would always be the center of our souls and the light of our lives. 
I hope our union with each other would be defined by the love of Christ -- until our union with him is complete.

Here's to five years of remission. 

Here's to sixteen years of marriage. 

Here's to an eternity with the One who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Love you...always and forever. 

Peter