A Request.

Please pray for my friend, Gail. She is having an MRI within the next two days (still trying to get it scheduled) and then is heading to Austria for a month. She has not told me what the MRI is for, but it is serious enough that today, during a physical exam, she was sent straight to radiology and the radiologist and the doctor both called her at home tonight to tell her the MRI was being scheduled before she went out of town.

I did not ask what the MRI is for because, you see, I haven’t spoken to her in 15 years. Not because anything happened, but because I was still…that girl back then and I came and went in people’s lives, for no particular reason. It just was the way I was. Not making excuses, just telling it like it WAS.

But my dear husband, The Man whom I live with but haven’t been speaking to because he refused to go to the doctor, finally went to the doctor today. I’m sure it was my stony silence that was a blessing convinced him to go.

And he sat down right across from our friends, Gail & Bill. Did I mention we hadn’t seen them in 15 years? He recognized them right away. And when he opened his mouth and the first word came out, they looked up and recognized him right away. And he showed pictures of all of us. They didn’t know we had the wild third child. She said she knew from the smirk on that boy’s face that he was “a pistol”. That’s when I told her we call him, The Wild Child. Lovingly, of course.

Gail phoned tonight. And we chatted for “I only have a few minutes to chat” 35 minutes.

I knew, instantly, that I had been wrong in walking away from this relationship because her greeting included my first, middle, maiden AND last name. What kind of a person remembers all of that? Especially after 15 years. And then proceeded to tell me our wedding picture with the two of them on either side of us, still has a place on her dresser mirror. They lost their only child around the time I wandered into their lives about, oh…26 years ago.

And I also knew that God had placed them back in our lives at just this time for a purpose. I pray, pray, pray that it is not because of a suspected illness. She assured me, repeatedly that although they have had their share of minor aging things (she is 68 and he will turn 70 in January), that they are in good health. I pray that continues. And I ask you to pray for that, too.

Because I know that I am going to be needed now. And, in all honesty, I balked at calling her when The Man said he had run into them. Because I knew this was going to be “something”. And I was afraid. Afraid of the commitment, afraid of the hurt, afraid of the time it will take from my life.

And, as I sat here thinking about it and praying about it, I realized that I was also afraid of the blessing it will bring.

Do y’all ever do that? Is that not just the most insane thing? Afraid of the blessing?!

He’s changed my heart about it. Talking with her tonight felt right. And it felt good. And I was blessed.

Please say a prayer for my dear friend, Gail.

God knows what all of this is about, even if I don’t.

Love you guys.