"I Swear"

   
     Last weekend I went to my friends baby shower.  She lives a little over 2 hours from me, but I was so excited to make this trip to see one of my best and oldest friends to celebrate a family of three soon to be family of 4.  Another of my dear friends was there too, and was also pregnant with her 2nd baby.  We all went to high school together and these girls have been so precious to me no matter where we are or what we've been doing with our life.
     I mentioned that trip was 2 hours because that means lots of radio time.  This is notable because I could listen to whatever I wanted without interrupting anyone else's plans (ahem... a certain 6 year old comes to mind).  On the way back after having a great visit with my friends, I was flipping through radio stations and came across a country station playing something I thought was worth stopping the channel surfing for. (even though now I don't remember what was playing)  What I do remember is the next song that came on was John Michael Montgomery's song, "I Swear".
     As soon as the song started even before any words were sung I was instantly thrown back to junior high or  high school dances.  I was the nervous girl fidgeting, wondering if anyone was going to ask me to dance because when I was that age everyone danced to the slow songs and the up tempo stuff you were free to do whatever you liked.  Is anyone going there with me?  I don't know if it happened because I had been with my old friends all day or what, but it was awkward to the point my stomach was even feeling unsettled for a second.
     I sat there and remembered all my friends and was thankful for all the ways God has worked in my life since those days.  After a few minutes the whole thing just made me smile really big and love the life God has given me.  I now have a forever dance partner, who I will always think is the best looking man in the room!  ( :  I have two darling girls who love to dance and play with their mom (for now).  Lastly, maybe most importantly, I am satisfied with who the Lord has made me.  Don't get me wrong there are days when I think,"I guess these love handles are just always going to be a reminder of the blessing of being able to bear my own children.", or think "I'm almost thirty, shouldn't I have grown out of pimples already?".  But in general I am thankful to be who God made me and I am comfortable with my lot in life.
     I can recall several times I've told those younger than me that adulthood is overrated, but I have been truly blessed beyond measure.  Maybe glimpses into the past, like I experienced, are meant to show us how far we've come and to praise the Lord with increasing confidence that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6).