A SPIRITUAL CONNECTION

People, who are not bloggers, just have NO idea how we can "meet" someone through the blog (cyberspace) and become so intimate with them that a connection is made that often transcends a close day to day, in person relationship.

Such was my connection with The Wrights.  I first met Danny on April 24, 2007 when he left a comment on a blog I had done on famous quotes.  I immediately checked out his blog, The Bumbling Genius, and have been a faithful follower ever since.  Danny gets me "out of my comfort zone" and makes me think deeper.  I appreciate that greatly.

Then on October 2, 2008 Danny notified me that his wife, Kathy, had begun blogging as A Field Lilly.  I visited her very first post and don't believe I've missed many of her posts since.

My connection with Kathy grew to such an extent, on a Spiritual level, that she is one of the people I leaned on (and I do mean LEANED) as we dealt with our daughter, Suzette's illness, and then death.  We became so close on that spiritual level that I added her to the private fb account of the Bible Study I host every Tuesday evening in our home, Women of the Word, or as we call ourselves WOW Women.  I did this on May 21st just 2 days after losing Suzette.

Way back, last year some time, Kathy told me they were planning an extended trip to GA in 2011 and wondered if we were any where near to their route.  I IMMEDIATELY googled map quest and found out we were about 60 miles, or 1 hour, off their path.  That was too close not to come in my opinion!!!! 

This trip was to commence in May of this year and plans were made for them to stop by and spend a couple of days with us on their way to Georgia.  I put off to the last minute to call them with the sad information that hospice had been called in with Suzette.  If it had been just Danny and Kathy, adults, I would have had them come then.  It would have been such a strength for Mickey and I and I would have loved for Suzette to get to meet them because she had heard me talk so much about them.  But since Bethany and Daniel are just children, and did not know us, we felt it would be hard on them to be thrust into such a situation.   

So, instead they said they would come on their return trip.  That happy, long anticipated day finally arrived on Saturday, July 2nd (which happened to have been my mother's BD!) at about 8:30 p.m.  I had shared with Danny and Kathy that it really turned out better for me because anticipating their coming had given me a "forward" look, instead of looking back so much at our sorrow. 

Daniel, Kathy, Bethany, Danny

One of the joys and excitement for us was their getting to attend our Church service with us at Coweta Assembly of God.  July 3th turned out to be a Patriotic Service which was very good. 

After church Marc, Oksana and Aric joined us for lunch and the remainder of the day and evening.  I fixed my Beef Strogenoff for dinner and Oksana made a German Chocolate Cake with Apples and Nuts.   

That evening we had a Patriotic Festival at CAG beginning at 6 p.m. with hot-dogs, hamburgers, all the trimmings, baseball games. inflatables of jostling and wrestling, and then a big firework display.  After the church firework display Marc and Oksana shot off the fireworks Marc had bought for another little show.  What a fabulous, fun packed, eventful day.  Kathy and Danny were also able to meet a lot of our Church Family.    

Danny - Kathy

I, who usually drive everyone crazy taking pictures, kept forgetting to take pictures and even forgot my camera when we went out so just a few will have to suffice.  On the trip from Memphis to Coweta the A/C on their car had quit running.  And yes, they were dealing with 100+ temps!!  Fortunately, our good friend Mike, the one who does all the vehicle work for us, took time on July 4th to check out the A/C.  It turned out to be a certain part but Danny could not get it that day because all the dealership's parts departments were closed.  

Danny and Kathy took us out to dinner on the evening of July 4th.  We went to Stone Mill for Bar-B-Que and Kathy had catfish.  A delightful dinner and time in an almost empty restaurant.  After eating we took them for a ride across Broken Arrow and the southern part of Tulsa to Jenks and the Arkansas River.  Coming back, after it had gotten dark, fireworks were going off in the various neighborhoods.  We stopped at McD's where we bought ice cream cones for everyone and then parked, in a business parking lot near 131st and Elm in BA,  got out of the car and enjoyed a delightful show of 360 degrees of fireworks going off in all the surrounding neighborhoods.  The Wrights had never see anything like that and it was a thrilling, fun time.  

Danny was over by about 7 on Tuesday morning and called a dealership and located the part.  Mickey and he left about 7:30 to go pick it up.  They drove the car and the part directly to Mike's house where he had it installed within a 1/2 hour.  Talk about God looking out for his own!!!

We had coffee and breakfast out on the patio each of the 3 mornings.  Danny commented that he had seen the patio table and chairs we were seated at several times on my blog covered with a snow from a big storm!!! :o)  This was such a special time, and we would remain there until it got too warm and we had to move into the house.  

We talked, and we talked, and we TALKED all day and into the night and up to midnight.  Even then we didn't want to stop but knew we had to.  We shared and we shared and we shared...anything and everything.  From the silly, to the deepest levels in the Spirit.  

Kathy and I so wanted her to be able to stay for the Tuesday night WOW Women's meeting but that was not to be :o(  Both Kathy and I begged and begged but it did not happen.  

  

Daniel loading up, Bethany switching the bugs she collected to their traveling pouch, Danny loading up.

Bethany and Kathy leaving the USS Oklahoma Submarine - our RV they had stayed in and that Aric, Daniel & Bethany had named it while playing together in it on Sunday.

Away they go --- and yes --- parting is such sweet sorrow.

None of us know for sure what the future holds for the 6 or us...but one thing we know for sure - God has made a connection between Danny, Kathy, Mickey & Susan that will last and extend into Heaven.

I will have another follow-up post of Kathy and I exchange of gifts.