Writer

"I just finished your fiance's book!"

I was on my way out the school doors when she stopped me. I haven't talked much about the man at school. I'm too private for that. It's enough that everyone knows I'm getting married. I had no clue how she even knew he was an author, let alone tracking down his book to read. 

But this friend? 

I've been to her house lots of times and sat with her family around a campfire just Being. We're close, and I think when she first heard that I was getting married she was just a little worried, a bit protective. What's he like? Will he treat her right? Who is this person waltzing in to steal Debbie away? 

So we talked in the hallway about the man and his book.

"My mother-in-law works at the library, and when I showed her your wedding invitation she said, 'Rundy Purdy?!! I know that name! He came and spoke at our library! He's really handsome, too! Here...' and she proceeded to go get his book about taking care of his grandfather and showed it to me. 'Isn't he handsome??' she said."

I shouldn't be surprised any more at the smallness of the world.

"It's a good book," said my friend. "He did a really good job describing what it's like--the hardness of it, and the goodness. It was heartwrenching, yes. But it was beautiful, too, how he described the closeness with his grandfather." 

I assented.

"Now when I showed my daughter the book, the first thing she said was, 'Man! Look at his arms! No wonder she's marrying him. I would, too...' I thought you'd appreciate that."

She went on talking about the book, and her daughter's judgment of a man by his biceps. As we talked back and forth, she finished with what I think was the whole reason she'd stopped me to talk in the first place.

"It takes a special person to do something like that. I was telling my husband about the book, and saying, 'Debbie's got a good guy! She's got a really good guy.'" 

And my heart was so warm, because she understood. She understood just a little bit of why I'm marrying him and how good it is. 

I am so grateful. 

So grateful that I don't really think about his arms. 

I'm too busy thanking God for his heart.