This story goes back almost 9 years ago while still living in California. Wow! I can't believe it! I am getting old. haha Anyways, Matt and I had been trying to have a baby for a while and had turned to infertility treatments to try and help us. It was a hard, scary, lonely, depressing trial that the Lord had us in. Things had not been working in our favor. My doctor was in Thousand Oaks and I would have to drive from Santa Clarita (about 45 minutes on a good day) every other day. I would go by myself because Matt could not take that much time off work. My work was generous with my time but it would still stress me out.
This was a particularly hard day because I was feeling really emotional. I had tried to be strong for so long and I was at the end of my rope. I tried to hurry through the appointment because I was getting ready to cry and I didn't want to do it in front of the doctor. I got in the car and just sat there. I couldn't even pull away. I started to pray. One of those prayers when you have nothing left. You are so broken and weak and you NEED Christ to take the reigns. (Or wheel...thank you Carrie Underwood) I told the Lord that I was so down and I had been discouraged without good news for so long that I needed something from Him. I wasn't asking Him to make me pregnant or to hurry us out of the trial but I needed something from Him to show me that He was there. That He saw me. That He was going to lift me up. I remember that I reaffirmed to Him that I would try hard to press on and be a testimony for Him.
(Insert background: Jr high and high school. I was one of those girls that LOVED Kirk Cameron. I would pray for his salvation because we couldn't be married if he wasn't saved. HAHA Oh young girls! As an adult when people would play the game of what celebrity they would want to meet and people would say, Brad and Angelina or Tom Cruise, I would always say Kirk Cameron. WHAT? I would get a good laugh. It got really embarrassing when some of my friends actually became friends with the Cameron family and they always said..."I have this friend Kelli." UGH! I would have never said anything if I knew that! haha)
Back to my story.....
I got in my car and drove to a gas station and I saw a guy that had a 80's look about him. It was not Kirk Cameron but it made me think of him and I literally said, " Now Lord. That would make my day!" Like. Yes Lord. That would for sure cheer me up (meeting Kirk Cameron). I kind of chuckled on the inside. On my way out of town I stopped at Jamba Juice to get a drink on my way back for work and who was there, reading his bible outside of Jamba Juice? KIRK CAMERON!!!!
I. ABOUT. DIED. I wanted to call Matt. (You know. My husband. The one I love and actually DID marry.) Matt had always told me that if I ever saw him I had to say hello because he never wanted to hear me talk for the rest of my life of what our conversation could have been.
So in obedience to my husband, I walked up to him. (with no plan mind you) and I started talking. 100 miles a minute. Really fast. I think I talked about John MacArthur. Kirk's Christian testimony. I don't know. I just know I talked. He listened. I think he was fascinated with my speed in conversation. There may have been a point where I felt the need to stop and leave. I remember ending with "Keep up the good work." And he said, "You too " and gave me a thumbs up. HAHAHA I can't stop laughing as I type this because of what he must have thought.
I got in the car and called Matt at work....SCREAMING.... then my parents, friends, bible study leader. When I got to school it was my topic of the day. I even shared it with a couple of my music classes. They had no idea who I was talking about being in Kindergarten through Sixth grade.
As I laid in bed that night. I let out a happy sigh and started to think about my whole day and the Lord brought to mind my prayer in the car. My discouraged, sad, pleading prayer to my Lord to lift me up because I couldn't anymore. To give me a break in the sadness and despair. To let me know that He was listening. I started to cry. Hard. So thankful.
I know that my earthly happiness was never going to depend on if I ever met Kirk Cameron. It wasn't that important. People laugh and don't believe me but when I think about my meeting Kirk it really isn't about Kirk. It was about the love that the Lord has for me. When I hurt. He cares. When I'm in despair. He hears.
I sang at a church the night his mom spoke at the same event. I tried to share this story with her but as I got going I felt silly. I hate it that I was "one of those girls." I am thankful for their family and it is amazing to see how the Lord has used them all and brought their whole family to Himself.
Oh and...I love you Matt. You are the only one for me!
Love it. Great story!
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