Our Love Story: Part IV

We hadn't spoken in over two years. Not a word. I hadn't forgotten him but I hadn't thought about him much after the initial shock set in that we weren't going to be speaking anymore.

I dated a few guys in those two years time. One I thought I might end up with, but instead of listening to God in that time like I had with Jetty, I tried to hold on too tight instead of let go and thing didn't work out. (Letting go hadn't worked for me before... or so I thought).

Then, one day while I was moving some things into my sister's new apartment (alongside the guy I was dating at the time) I got a letter. It was a letter that changed everything.

My mom had brought it to Halifax because it was addressed to me at their house. I saw the return address and knew it was someone from high school but I couldn't remember whose address it was. I quickly opened the letter and flipped it over to see a name but it simply said " Love, me" on the back. No name. It also mentioned how the author still hadn't tried lobster. I turned to my mom and said, "It's Jetty."

It was a short letter and a simple one. An apology for the way things ended before and a hand extended in friendship. I read it a couple times over and put it away. I didn't know how to respond, or if I even wanted to. I was upset, upset it had taken him 2 years to reach out but at the same time I was touched, touched that in a time when it would be so easy to fire off an email or text, or call, or Facebook or instant message, he has taken the time and hand written a letter. One that made me know he was sincere when he said he missed being friends.

At the very time I received that letter I was finishing up "What's so Amazing About Grace" by Philip Yancey (If you haven't already, please read it!). I was learning about God's unending grace and that, however undeserving I was, that grace was mine. When I thought about the million things I wanted to say back in a letter to Jetty, I knew so many of them wouldn't show true forgiveness or grace. They would throw in his face the things he had done that had hurt me so much. I prayed about what to write, I thought about it, I talked to some dear friends about it. In the end, the answer was so simple. I had forgiven Jetty long ago and I wanted him to know that, and know that forgiveness came with no strings attached. I wasn't going to hold the things he had done over his head, or bring them up. I was excited to have my friend Jetty back.

I wrote him a short letter back that essentially said, I receive undeserved forgiveness and grace each day and I want to show the same to you. Oh and P.S. There is always lobster out here for you. ;)

After he got my letter we connected online and by phone and started talking every day. The friendship started almost exactly where we left it. We laughed over the phone, talked about our days, I shed a few tears, we laughed some more and before I knew it, Jetty had planned a trip out East for the end of the summer. The first time he would come out East to visit and the last time I would give my heart to a boy.

Yup, we had that lobster! 

"See? He's her lobster!" - Phoebe Buffay

I sure am working on a Part 5! You aren't tired of this yet are you? ;)