the next round of sundaes are on me

It's been forty days...

And forty nights.

I've been hit from all of my sides.

Such a situation.?Such a declaration.?Such a temptation to turn sideways?and bow down.

Haven't seen my pillow for weeks...?

Moses, what is the candelabra?that you must have held here in the?wilderness??Sure, the fellow vagabonders must have been a little taxing on your?soul and the whole burning?bush must have been crushingly hot!?

And those Commandments, such Stones, they must have been burdensome to hold.?

I get that.

Fast forward into these nights in southwest Florida for they have been cutting deep.?I see such?desolation, such despair,?such destruction.?The blade is driven into what's left into my life.?Neighbors are leaving and relinquishing left and right.?They're out of here.?Ain't gonna take on another hurricane.?And the nightly news is bringing me down...?Shut that television off Mom!

And when I get down, I pull back into what lifted me up once before.?

Some years back, many moons ago, of all places I was?all in Disney World.?My hero, my big brother, such a beautiful man!, he stood before me, and he laid his hand upon my shoulder as we stepped into some ice cream parlor.?So many languages were being expressed.?Standing adjacent to him with his family, left of me was some elderly couple, not paying attention to anything around them but paying attention to all things that belonged to them.?Laughing, full of light, I couldn't help but notice the wonderment that that saw in one another.

Intrigued and wanting to know their magic, when I asked them why are you two still?so enamored with one another, what's the music?, he easily said to?me "Son, she's my best friend.?She's been there for me when I was at my darkest.?And here I stand, beholden and and before her, humbled I am.?I may not sing softly, and sure I am out of tune, but when I sing, I sing her?praises.?And while there's a sundae coming up, sure hot fudge and all, there's nothing behind their shelves as sweet as her love."

Can you imagine such things?!!

I can.?Been searching my whole life for such words and feelings and for a life worthy of laying my sword and shield down, cast them aside.?

Reminded me of my Grandpa, for he spoke like that.?

I've been on the ledge, going over the edge.?

And this gentelman was so comfortable in his declaration.?And with no hesitation, he rejoined the room, "This woman is my life.?She's been my best friend for thirty?years but it feels like thirty seconds.?Cannot imagine a moment without her..."

This utterance brought?me to my knees.?And next thing I knew I was speaking in tongues.?

Se voce?sentir que o Amor esta fora de seu alcance,?saiba que?Saus margens estao?sempre ao Seu?alcance.?Apresse Seu requinte pelos meus?bracos?e pernas, e me de todas as coisas gloriosas!?

Well, Portuguese.?Brazil brought my?passport here but Love conquered me and lifted me up into this proverbial field.

Love is all we have.? It's the only answer.?

And now that I face down the challenges and difficulties of all things Hurricane Ian left in our wake, with broken roofs and broken dreams left all around, I am reminded that if we are ever?going to rise up and above this calamity, we're only gonna do it with one another's hand clasped in ours.?So let's dig in and lift each other up into a new plateau.??

I'm only gonna get through this with you.?And along the way, I will do all I can to bring you along with me.?

These challenges are beyond description.?But we're not alone.?

I am here for you, and as you roll through this wilderness,?know that we are standing in the same ice cream parlor... and the sundaes are on me!???

So glad you're here.?