Amazing Valentine's Date

It started earlier this week when I mentioned to Jarret that we had nothing planned for Valentine's Day. He replied, "Yes, we do! I put it on our calendar, but you just haven't noticed." Sure enough, our calendar was marked for Saturday evening: "Surprise Valentine's Date".

I *love* suprises. All I knew is that we were supposed to be somewhere near downtown at 6:45. Dinner reservations, perhaps? On Saturday afternoon, I finally asked Jarret what I needed to wear. He said I need to be casual and comfortable. I felt like what I was wearing already fit that description, but he suggested I get even more casual. Clearly, we were not going to a swanky restaurant. Perhaps some sort of fun activity?

I changed clothes, we dropped Julia off at Gran & Poppy's, and then enjoyed a matinee movie (such a treat!). Afterward, we started our drive toward downtown. Soon, we were veering off on roads I've never driven down, and then I started getting nervous...truly nervous. Where were we? I suddenly felt like we were in a different city, and not the nice part of the city.

As we pulled up to our destination, Jarret gives me the go-ahead to read my Valentine's Day card. In it, he wrote, "I am blessed to serve alongside my 'Miss Debbie' for the rest of my life." That's a reference to the book we're reading, Same Kind of Different as Me. It tells the story of a rich art dealer in the DFW area who, at the prompting of his wife Miss Debbie, begins serving the homeless through Union Gospel Mission and befriends a homeless fellow. Of course, they both end up changing each other's lives. The book has been reshaping our lives.

Since we're on a very tight budget right now and can't afford Valentine's Day in the traditional sense, Jarret decided what better way to spend Valentine's Day than giving our time to serve others. So, we spent three hours talking to these men and getting to serve up some food. It was an incredible Valentine's Day, and I am so blessed to have a husband who thought to do such a wonderful thing! Our goal for 2009 is to become more focused on truly loving and serving others, regardless of whether they can do anything for us. Thank you honey for planning such an awesome date night that was focused toward our goal!

Courtesy of fellow Watermark member Todd's cellphone camera. Thanks Todd!

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' (Matthew 25:35-36)