Obedience

It’s been a good day. A long one in the making but ultimately it turned out to be really good. Joel and I drove to Atlanta today to see my old college roommate, Laurel and her new fiance Charles. It was a trip that I initially had some apprehension about as a result of some past hurts but I finally decided that if I had said that things had been forgiven, then I needed to have my actions speak the same. It was also a first meeting for both our men.

8:30, we headed out on a rough start. I got irritated at little things of which I can only attribute to nerves. After a short spat, apologies, and a “Can we start our day over?” conversation, we were on a new track.

When I realized that we were most likely going to be late, Laurel called and said that they too would be late. Whew! I don’t like to be late so it was as if I had been granted permission. Joel took the exit to Emory in a haste so we got the scenic tour of Peachtree Street. Not the best of streets for me when my nerves were already a bit jumpy. We made it though and in one piece. The Cheesecake Factory – our favorite.

We met Laurel and Charles and ate outside. The initial meeting wasn’t awkward as I had thought it would be. It was as if we were two good friends meeting up again after a long hiatus. My nerves calmed considerably. While at the table, Laurel spilled the BIG news to me. She indicated that it had happened about 6 weeks prior but she wanted to see my face when she told me. I was surprised and happy for them both. The ring is very pretty, different, and very Laurel. I don’t remember how long we were there at lunch but it was quite some time. Chit chat and catching up on our lives and the lives of our families. Sharing laughs, hard times, and getting to know one another again.

From there, we went to Atlantic Station. It is a community in and of itself, equiped with everything from Publix to Dillards. Parking is underground and the loft apartments around there range from the $900 figure for a 1 bedroom to the $thousands. After walking around the general area, we headed for the new IKEA store there. Huge. That’s really all I can say. Oh, and cheap and modern. It’s not bad if you just want a look for stuff for an apartment for a short time and you won’t have a lot of rough living going on around it. Most of it is cabinets, shelving, etc. that you take home and put together yourself. Not my style. So after walking though the maze there, we drove past the new mosk that is being built. According to Laurel, it is the largest in the Southeast. Then on the to the church her friends are starting back up in the same general area as the mosk, down by Georgia Tech.

Crazy idea. Let’s head to The Varsity. The GT game hadn’t let out yet. It’s a perfect time to go. Or so we thought. Just as we headed over there, the game let out and thus the traffic picked up 10 fold. We didn’t have far to go but I was a bundle of nerves the entire time. Laurel kept telling me what a great time it was to go. GT had just won their game. It was an experience that everyone would love to have. While we sipped on a Frosted Orange and ate onion rings, I shared my wedding and honeymoon photos with them. It was then that I really felt a peace about how things had gone throughout the day. So after some pictures in the parking lot, we said our goodbyes with the promise to talk again soon.

Joel and I just got home a little bit ago and will be headed off to bed shortly. I’m absolutely exhausted tonight. We must have walked a couple miles today alone. My feet feel it. Church will be tomorrow and we’ll hand out our invitations to the November social. I use tomorrow afternoon to get ready for next week which promises to be somewhat light. Paul will be out of the office for 3 days and 2 of those days, John will be out the office as well.

I started walking at work during my breaks now. I figure that if my feet don’t hurt as bad in the day time as they do by the end of the day, a little walking is better than none at all. Maybe it will help me shed some more weight. At present, I’m still at the 10 pound mark with great aspirations of more to lose. Only time will tell.

Relief. It was a good day. Something I was so afraid of, God blessed. Obedience paid off. I should have never doubted.