Num. 41 - Humble, Texas

41. I’m astounded by how faithfully God has always provided for all of our needs.

Meeka married me in 1990, moved from Calgary, Alberta (the Canadian Rockies!), and settled into a 300 square foot apartment in Humble, Texas. What else do I need to tell you about her to convince you of her awesomeness? Seriously! 

And so there we started our life together over thirty years ago. I was a part-time tennis pro, full-time student; she worked in a start-up in our community before working for start-ups was a thing. We didn’t have a credit card, and we had one car, which was a red 1988 Jeep Comanche pick-up.

Our apartment was across a busy farm-to-market road (See Texas road maps) from a shopping mall and a newly built Pappasitos Catina. Not long after we moved in, Fiesta Grocery opened one of its flagship stores near us. That’s where we did our grocery shopping. Okay, “grocery” shopping may be a generous description of what we were doing back then. We’d hunt for deals in the isles with diligence and resolve. I usually pushed the buggy, and Meeka operated the calculator tallying our bill as we went. Once we hit fifty bucks, we headed for check out. Then, back home in our 300 square foot palace, we’d get the tomato soup going.

There’s much more I could tell you about this simple life we shared those first few years. Suffice to say, we started off in a humble place called Humble, Texas. How romcom is that?! And here we are, against all the odds, over thirty years, three kids + a daughter-in-law, a home in Franklin, Tennessee, and friends and family members who have never stopped loving us. We can buy more groceries now, and our home is a little bigger than 300 square feet. We still use calculators, just not at the grocery store. 

We think back to the miles we’ve covered and marvel at where we are. Neither of us came from wealthy families, nor have we won the lottery. Yet, we both know how to work hard. And we have had more than our fair share of kindness and generosity showed to us. More importantly, neither one of us has ever really doubted that God would supply for every single need. As a result, not only do we have enough for our family’s needs, but we are also able to share with others. 

More than thirty years in, we are full of gratitude. Gratitude is the constant that chases away the fears and worries in our life. Gratitude is what strengthens us to take risks and take grand adventures. We married each other when we were 19 and 20 years old. Now we are in our fifties. As the years have added up, our gratitude is increasingly matched by awe: Wow. Here we are, God. You have been so kind to us.