He stopped over my house on Thursday to ask my blessing. The farmer would. He’s just that way. He was proposing on Friday, at sunset. She was on her way home from college for the weekend. She’s in her final semester and completely unaware that the beginning of her forever was being planned. She will be so happy as she adores her farmer boy. Friday in the field didn’t go as planned. Worse than planned and not expected. The combine broke down, twice. They are already way behind harvest schedule so there is no luxury of time to be without the tractor. She never left his side. He never lost his cool. But he did lose the sense that this was going to be the day to ask her to spend forever with him. Tomorrow, tomorrow is better. Saturday wasn’t better. Multiple mishaps and moving equipment from field to field didn’t go as expeditiously as needed. Again, she never left his side. And then. At dusk, Grandpa in his wisdom said, “It may not get better than this. If you’re gonna do it, do it now.” The farmer heeded the advice. He implemented the proposal plan. As she approached him from around the combine, he got down on one knee in the dirt, with the diamond and said “Maybe the only thing that will go right this weekend is if you say yes.” She did. She accepted the diamond in the dirt. My daughter and my soon to be son - so goes life. It will be dirty at times. It won’t go as planned often. It will be messy and off schedule and sometimes you’ll need a nudge from wisdom to find courage to move forward. But in the midst of the mess there is beauty sparkling new. Look for it. Together. Search for the bright spots as small as they may be in the expanse of the field of life. Stay by each other, be slow to anger and never, ever take your hand out of the other’s - hold on to each other and never forget that God your Heavenly Father is holding on to you. Congratulations John & Abigayle! Our hearts are overjoyed!!! Here’s to forever finding diamonds in the dirt!!!!