Sometimes the blessings are beyond our comprehension.

This morning I overslept a bit. Not too too late, but about half an hour. So I had to move pretty quick to get out of the house on time. I got to work early as always, and I checked my email - my work email and then my home email. I opened an email from my little sister - her name is Michelle, but we call her Chelle. She lives in FL so we don't see each other very often but we talk on the phone at least once or twice a week. She had called here on Sunday needing Laurie's phone number so Ron gave it to her and she said she would call back later. By the time we talked to Laurie a couple of hours later, she had already talked to Aunt Chelle. Just chit chat she said.

Now Michelle has a way of doing these wonderful acts of kindness, and so this morning when I opened her email - the subject of which was: "WE LOVE YOU" I wondered what it's contents would be.

There, in living color and with lots of letters and numbers, was an itinerary for Laurie, Stephen and Kasey. They are coming home for Christmas after all, compliments of Aunt Chelle and Uncle Bob. I got my cell phone out and called Michelle right away - she has caller ID so she knew it was me. I said - tears in my eyes and huge lump in my throat..."MICHELLE!!"

And she said, "Isn't it fun?" And I said, "but I can't pay you back..." and she said, huge lump in her throat, "You already do....every single day." Now we were both crying. I couldn't talk and she couldn't talk and so we just said I love you and hung up. I sat there and cried my eyes out - to think that she loves us this much. One of our staff members was in the other side of the office and she came around the corner really quickly and asking me if I was ok. I said, "Diane, these are happy tears..." and I told her what was happening and she hugged me. God always puts people in my path when I need a hug or when I need to share wonderful news and give someone a hug out of sheer thanksgiving. Poor Diane - first I scare the heck out of her...then I hug her. All before the coffee had finished brewing at my desk. :)

So now, instead of the kids being alone way out where they are, and our family being incomplete at Christmas....Kasey and Veronica will be getting a visit from Santa at the same home. And from now til Christmas, when I hear that "I'll be home for Christmas" song...I can turn up the radio and sing along...instead of just listening and wishing. Cause the kids will be home.

To think GOD loves me this much to have given me this beautiful and generous sister and her husband. I just tried to leave her a voice mail - I wasn't able to say very much - that lump again.

Now I realize that being apart for a holiday isn't the end of the world considering the distance between deployed soldiers and their families...and that's why I didn't say much about not being together - but when I think of how God blesses us when we least suspect it... well, it just boggles my mind.

Michelle and Bob - we love you. Oh Lord, bless them abundantly, please.

God bless our troops. And those who wait for them.