What does Destiny mean to you?

I check the obituaries every day. It has slowly turned into a ritual that I end the day with.

I do this for a number of reasons. One, if someone very young died in the community (ages 13-18) I can know and act accordingly with the youth that I interact with. Also because the majority of my church is elderly and I would like to know when death affects us. I am starting to build relationships within my church, and my pastor would forget to tell me if someone of significance had passed. And last, I am just plain curious.

Today I saw two names:

LaVonne A. Wininger
Harold E. Wininger

As I read their obituaries I discovered a wonderful story. One that Nicholas Sparks couldn't write any better. LaVonne married someone else in 1941 who died in World War II. She was 21, can you imagine being widowed at 21? Five years passed before she finally married Harold in 1946. Harold also served in WW II and was on the Battleship Maryland during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Harold and LaVonne lived a happy little life in Ft. Collins, CO and Wyoming for their entire life. They raised five children together and had a mess of grandchildren. I know this because half of the obituary are the names of their children and grandchildren.

It was only at the end of their lives that the most amazing thing happened. After 62 years of marriage, while living at the Davis Hospice Center in Cheyenne, WY; LaVonne passed away at the age of 86 on March 26, 2009. Harold passed away at age 86 on March 27, 2009. Harold lived without his wife for one day.

One day.

How beautiful is that?

Many of us run through life wondering our purpose; my youth believe that they are running through life alone. While we are running this race we never quiet see the crazy beautiful path that God is painting for us. Sometimes we are so overcome with stress that it is hard to see the positives right in our face.

And some of us are lucky enough to have a partner in our lives, one that is so devoted to us that we are able to share the journey together. There are always ups and devistating lows. I wonder if after LaVonne lost her first husband she asked God if she would ever love again. And she loved more grealy than we will ever be able to imagine. She built and shared her life with a wonderful man who in true meaning of the words could not live without her.

How Beautiful is that?

As odd as this may sound this reaffirms my devotion to my partner. Not that it was wavering, or that I was filing for divorce tomorrow. But as Ben Folds said it "I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong". But I do, I mean, it does reaffirm. The story of LaVonne and Harold is a story that shows me that I am meant to share my life with this person. That we are meant to fight battles and have crazy amounts of offspring, enough to where they will take up half of our obituaries. To leave a legacy that only we can create together. That God has brought us to this point, has made these puzzle pieces fit to form our destiny, our journey. We were truly created for one another.

At this point I am rambling. I just want you to know how truly special and precious this story is. And that we are all created to have the same kind of love.

When we get married many of us say the phrase "Till death do us part." But I don't think death ever separated LaVonne and Harold. I think LaVonne left early to show Harold the way home. And He followed her.

How Beautiful is that?