"Keeping Promises" (Part 2)

The Day Before

Tomorrow was the vow renewal and everyone was in Jacksonville just getting last minute things together. Aaron didn't want me to help much so him and Tim were mostly doing everything.
Day by day I played this moment again and again in my head but never knew when it was going to happen. The men I have been with in the past were now a distant memory and I just wanted to be able to feel present in the moment for the very last time. Demi was sitting next to me and we were just eating breakfast in the house near door to where the guys were living. They thought it was a good idea that we separated so they could just get everything done.

I was staring into space when Demi walked in and sat across from me.

Demi: Are you okay girlie?
Me: Yeah just in my thoughts.
Demi: I'm like that also when I don't know what to say.
Me: I don't know why I'm like this sometimes but I guess this is the last time I'm going to be doing this and I just have to get used to it.
Demi: Life has been crazy and difficult for you Sarah. I mean I didn't have it easy either but I had it right in front of me for most of my life. Tim was really there for me when I needed him and there were times where you didn't have anyone. That is why we wanted to help. We didn't want you to feel like you were being stranded.
Me: I remember looking through Instagram and seeing you and Tim happy and I was in my dark bedroom with my dog and I was thinking to myself "how come I never got something as amazing as that?" It was like God at the moment was showing me what was in front of me but I was so blind sided as to what it was.
Demi: Sarah trust me God answered your prayers. Maybe it just took time.
Me: What do I do next?
Demi: Well you are remarrying the man you have loved all your life tomorrow for the final time and maybe you just needed a different mindset for this renewal instead of going to places that you are familiar with. This church I'm telling you has this orah about it that not many churches have anymore that is why Tim and I got married here and why we love this place. Like you can feel the wind brush through the doors when they open and you can feel the heat from the sun in the summer come through the glass windows. It feels like something out of some book but it is all real life. Maybe that is what you needed.
Me: Yeah maybe. I'm going to think on this.
Demi: I will let you think while I go get the guys for lunch.
Me: Okay thanks.

I walked across the street to the church since everything was set up in there since last week and I sat in the front on the bench. I was looking around and trying to feel something again. I could see what Demi was talking about through the windows and how the sun came through them. It was like I was reliving a moment from The Last Song where the churches would have these glass windows that tell their own Bible stories. Aaron and I definitely needed a place like this. We needed something more spiritual in life.

A couple of minutes later Patty and my mom walked in and sat behind me.

Patty: Sarah this place is exactly what you and Aaron needed.
Me: I was just thinking that. Now I know why Demi wanted us to be here instead of being in a place that was more familiar to us that wouldn't give us a good memory.
Nahla: Yeah I really see what she means. It is like the whole Bible is in here and the orah of this place is really spiritual.

Me: It makes me just sit here and think about how many people before us walked in here and felt something when they entered and when they left.

Patty and my mom said they would see me later at dinner and Tim walked in after them saying hello when they were walking out. He came with Aaron.

Tim: Sarah isn't this place something.
Me: It is.
Tim: I told you that you guys would love it.
Aaron: It has a story to be told. It is just waiting for us to create our own.
Tim: Mhm. The priest that did Demi and I's wedding is on vacation so he told me that we could do the renewal here and gave me access to everything since my family and I have been coming here since I was born.
Aaron: I like the message it sends. You don't have to rethink anything here. It is all like a story book in front of your eyes. You can even hear the wind through the doors.
Tim: That's one thing Demi loved about this church. It has a story feeling and the lighting helps you picture what could have been here.
Me: You know I always said to myself that I wanted to marry someone who played football so I can take care of them when they get the severe head injuries and when they start feeling like they aren't themselves anymore but God gave me a different plan. Maybe I can go back and help with mental health in sports. CTE has become huge these days and these trauma induced injuries or any injuries can potentially ruin a player and their lives.
Aaron: This is why I want to marry you again Sarah. This is why I came back to you. You have a way of changing the world you just needed support around you which is why we are here.
Tim: Sarah he is right. You have a mind that can change anything in this world. You just have to go out and do it. Go out and see things differently. You never know who you might come across.
Me: Yeah.

In the next chapter the wedding renewal happens and some unexpected guests come along that Sarah builds a bond with. Stay tuned. 😘