“She waits with eager anticipation surrounded by the familiar noises and sights of the park. This moment has been coming for so long! Conflicting emotions spill over as she rubs her sweaty palms down the sides of the special dress she wears just for this occasion.

What will he look like? Will she recognize him immediately as easily as she would recognize the tone and feel of his email notes even if they were unsigned? She knows him from the inside – his heart revealed to her through his passion about life, about love, about every topic they discussed. It is like they have already been connected, forever bound by their deep sharing of thoughts and feelings and opinions. Together they have ridden the waves of life online sharing good times and bad, fears and disappointments, joys and excitement.

But now she will see his face for the first time.

A dog bounds over the hill. “Chester!” a voice calls – a strangely familiar voice. His dog’s name is Chester. He is coming! A flutter begins deep within, her hand clasping her throat to keep her heart from flying out of her chest.

A man appears walking nonchalantly, relaxed, smiling, confident as he approaches her. She gasps! It’s him! It’s the one she was hoping it would be. Somehow, she knew.

Silently, she sighs as he draws near. He stops just in front of her and looks directly into her eyes, waiting for her to speak.

“I hoped it would be you,” she softly says. And then she is enfolded into the arms that contain the heart so familiar to her. She is home at last.”

You most likely recognize this ending from the movie, “You’ve Got Mail”. It’s one of those poignant, unforgettable moments.

I can’t help but hope that this is what it will be like when I see my Lord, my Lover, my King. All along this path I walk with Him, not seeing Him, yet being loved by Him (1 Peter 1:8). As I go through the highs and lows, He walks beside me and we talk, we share, we laugh. I have slowly come to know Him deeply as one who alone is aware of everything about me and loves me so much anyway. He enjoys me. He teaches me when His ideas differ from mine. His patience, respect and admiration always reassure me and build my trust.

There is something mysterious about not seeing Him, just feeling Him near me. It’s like waiting for the wedding during a long engagement where my fiancée is away. At times, the longing to see Him overwhelms me. How I want to look, actually LOOK, into His eyes and SEE Him loving me no longer having to imagine what those beautiful eyes will be like.

When I arrive in eternity, I will. And I believe that when He comes to me, it will be like seeing someone I have known all along. My heart will recognize Him and smile. And I will say, “I hoped it would be You.” Then He will put His arms around me and I will know that I am home – forever safe.

Bernice Lupo is a Christian Life Coach, author and speaker whose life purpose is to inspire others to discover and live out the adventure of their God-given design. Knowing the importance of identity and value, she has developed the "Cinderella System" which takes her clients into the intimate heart of God and shows them their beauty through His eyes. Visit her wesite at http://www.goldrefined.com

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