Thankful for BLTs ~ A Love Story

I've written about how God providentially changed my life on this very day NINETEEN YEARS AGO.  You can read the longer version by clicking here.

The bottom line is that 19 years ago today, I drove to Raleigh to spend the weekend with my friend, Jennifer.  She was a cheerleader at NCState and had invited me to the NCState/Carolina basketball game. 

I followed her Mom to what I thought was Jennifer's apartment, but ended up being Jennifer's boyfriend's apartment.  We knocked on the door and Jen's boyfriend's really, REALLY cute roommate answered the door and invited us in. 

Eeeeekkkk!

That was the day I met Eric.

To make a loooooong story short, we went out a few times, but he was graduating college and had just landed a job in Pennsylvania.  We lost touch until a year later when he moved back to NC and asked me out again.

I've told that story a million times, but rarely tell about the first time he told me he loved me. 

All I knew was that I was NOT going to tell him first.  No way, no how.  I had been through A LOT and was very careful about putting my heart out there for someone to trample on.  But, deep down I knew Eric wasn't that kind of guy and I could trust him.

I was living in Hickory, he in Raleigh and we saw each other every 2 or 3 weeks.  One weekend in September 1995, after we had been dating 5 months, we planned to go to a wedding of some close friends of ours.  Eric was a groomsmen in the wedding and we knew we were going to have a fun weekend.  I remember watching him stand up there during the wedding and thinking "Lord, I think I'm going to be okay with him, right?" 

I had been through so much heartache, I took things very slow with him.

After the ceremony and pictures, Eric and I got into his car to drive to the reception.  We were a little giddy knowing we were meeting our closest friends for a night of FUN.  Out of the blue, Eric said "You know what I would love to have? I would love a BLT". 

Okay.  Random.  I was pretty sure they wouldn't be serving BLTs at the reception.

Now, anyone that knows Eric, knows he is all about food.  He plans trips around restaurants and meals.  If we plan a vacation a year out, he already knows where and what he'll eat when he gets there.  Food is a hobby for him.

Anyway, I responded with "mmmmm hmmmm .... with mayonnaise! Yum!"

He slowed the car down, looked at me and blurted out "I love you!!!!"

Just like that.

All the waiting ... anticipating .... over.

I responded (OF COURSE!) with "I love you, too!".

Then, we cracked up laughing and I thought "thank goodness I love BLTs or that could've gone another way" :)

That's the story we tell our girls all the time.  We tell them it's a good thing Mommy loves BLTs or they may not be here today. 

Last night, I got an email from Eric that read ....

Mr. Lail has requested your presence for lunch on Friday, February 8th, if you are available? Shall I tell him you can make it?

It made me laugh.  Of course, I said 'yes'.

So, it's a date.

And, there more than likely will be BLTs involved :)