Bob and I just returned from an incredible five days in Marco Island Florida. We stayed at a breathtakingly beautiful beachfront resort. The employees referred to it as "Paradise" and I felt like I was in paradise, enjoying the bright sunshine and gorgeous sunsets. Each morning I woke up thinking that there really can't be too many places in the whole world as beautiful as this. Even the nights were like day because the moon reflected so brightly off the white sand. As picture perfect as the surroundings were, and I did try to soak up every detail, it was the people we met that were the most beautiful and made the greatest impact...an eternal impact.

In early 2008, a close friend of Caitlin's introduced her to some of the people that are responsible for putting on the National Prayer Breakfast. She was fascinated with their vision and desired to be a part of it. She applied for a nine month internship that would begin the following fall and was blessed to be one of only four girls in the nation to get one.

In November of 2008 we were invited out to Washington D.C. for a parent weekend to spend some time with the people who were mentoring our children. Caitlin had shared that many of the people involved in the group held high government positions, rubbed shoulders with world leaders, owned companies, were sitting judges and lawyers. I felt a little intimidated. What could a flight attendant and a car salesman possibly contribute to that group? More than likely they'd think we're a couple of nitwits. How wrong I was! I have never felt such genuine love from essential strangers in my entire life....and oh, how they love Caitlin! They genuinely cared about us and wanted to hear every detail about our life with Brett and how God has worked and continues to work in our lives.

Their desire is to be Jesus to people and their tangible love and joy has attracted many rich and influential people to join in their effort to reach every corner of the globe. It thrilled us to know that Caitlin was being discipled by these people.

That weekend had an enormous impact on my thinking, prodding me to reach out to people like they do. It is too easy for me to stay in my familiar little world, not caring to open up to strangers, accept help or even meet new people. When Peggy and Michael Gooch (parents of one of the interns) invited us to attend the Willow Bank Memorial Gathering in Florida, I didn't have a clue what it was but I thought we should try and go... I wanted be around those people again!

With a special needs child that requires 24/7 care, just picking up and flying off somewhere is no longer an option. As God would have it, a friend with a special needs child of her own had recently taken advantage of a charity organization called Children are Precious (childrenareprecious.net) that provides respite care for parents or caregivers of special needs children. I felt overwhelmingly grateful for such an organization. It seemed almost too good to be true that these precious people, having experienced the need themselves, began an organization to provide a break for people like us. All they ask in return is that at some point we might share our testimony at a fundraiser. The news got even better when we discovered they would hire a nurse we knew, someone who we knew would love on Brett and take extra special care of him. What peace of mind! God is good. Though every detail seemed to be falling into place, Bob was still wary about spending the money, feeling it wasn't something we could afford at the time. I was convinced we should make every attempt to go. It wasn't like we were buying stuff...we would be spending money on something that would have eternal benefits!

From the minute we walked into our little meeting room, we felt inexplicably loved and embraced by these people. We know that each connection we made was divinely orchestrated by God to touch us in some way. We were divided into small groups. Merle and Mary Ann were our small group facilitators and we were joined by Patrick and Leslie. On the second day Mary Ann insisted on treating me to a massage. I'd never gotten one, and I spent the 50 glorious minutes thanking God for the opportunity to be there and for Mary Ann's generous heart.

There was a reason God had us in the group that He did. Because we shared a common bond in Jesus, we weren't afraid to be vulnerable and we shared from our hearts. The theme for the week was growth...are we growing? If not, why not? What is impeding our growth, how can we foster it?

After we returned I was reading some verses about growth and noticed something I'd never picked up on before. In 1 Cor. 3, Paul tells the Corinthians that they weren't ready for solid food, they were still too worldly, still too filled with jealousy and quarrels... they were still just mere men. What struck me is that spiritual growth is supposed transform us into more than mere men. This is what made this gathering of people so different...with Jesus at the helm of their lives, they are more than mere men. These people are not willing to just stay comfortable in their familiar, comfortable environment, they are continually growing and reaching out.

Bob commented on what an awesome time he had golfing with complete strangers. Because of the connectedness he felt with these men through Jesus, he was able to laugh and share with them as if he'd known them his entire life.

I could fill pages with all the fascinating stories and heartfelt sharing. A couple who especially touched Bob and I had fostered and then adopted three boys. They've suffered through trials and set backs with their boys that would have sunk most people... yet they exude joy! They laughed more in the short time we spent with them than some people do in an entire year. Bob and I were profoundly affected by their example, so inspired by their example.

The night before we checked out, one of the men approached Bob and said a few of them had decided they wanted to pick up the tab for our entire stay. We were so bowled over by their unexpected generosity that we hardly knew how to express our gratitude.

That last night I didn't sleep a wink as I played over in my mind all the stories, the people, the sharing, the generosity, the love and the hope that was shared. It was mind boggling the way these people reached out to us. I still don't understand it, but Bob and I have decided we want to reach back. We don't want it to be just a vacation we'll never forget, we want to do what it takes to maintain these connections that God undoubtedly orchestrated.