May 7 - A Great Day to Answer the Telephone

I like having a lot of days to celebrate! Today is one of those "days to celebrate" that is very personal for Debbie and me. In keeping with the last couple of blogs, today is Siete de Mayo, the 7th day of May.

19 years ago this afternoon Debbie called me for the first time! Actually she didn't know she was calling me. She didn't get my name off the internet (I can't remember if Al Gore had invented the internet by then, but neither of us had access to it at that time if he had).

She was actually trying to call Marion Bond West, a writer for GuidePost magazine who lived in Stillwater. She got me instead. "Acuff's residence, this is Bill" is how I answered. In God's divine providence, I was house-sitting for Marion and her husband as they prepared to move to Georgia.

Of all the telephone messages I took for Marion, Debbie was the only one where we began a good friendship. And that friendship has grown for 19 years now and is still just getting started good! We spoke a few more times by phone and began to write to each other (she lived about 200 miles away).

Thank you, Dear Lord, for the special surprises You bless us with! And for being involved in caring for us even when we may not be aware of it at the time.