What a Difference You’ve Made – THANK GOD!!!

One thing that you can count on from all song writers and performers, is that they will have a handful of love songs in their repertoire. Afterall, there have been love songs written since the days of Adam and Eve. One such writer is Ronnie Millsap, who like many others, has written and sung some incredible love songs.

I point this out because there are two such songs that come to mind every time a think of my beautiful wife. The songs “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” and “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World,” are those songs. They both express exactly how I feel about my beloved, although the latter talks about losing His loved one, which is the only part of the song that doesn’t fit – THANK GOD!!!

I thank God because He alone is why I can say these things about my soulmate. I’ll try to be brief in my explanation.

· Forty-nine years ago, I was nominated to attend the military academy of my choice – But that didn’t happen.

· Forty-eight years ago, I was doing everything I could to play football at Notre Dame. I had a couple of scholarship offers and could have gone to those schools to play – But that didn’t happen.

· Forty-seven years ago, I enrolled at Ball State with a hope of playing football – But that didn’t happen.

· Forty-five years ago, I quit college to start a career. Two months later, I met a girl, let’s call her “Sarah,” who I hoped would be a friend. But I had to refuse to give her items from my store that others within my store had promised her. She was outraged and would likely hate me for life – But that didn’t happen.

· Six months later I was promoted to be a General Manager, and my new Assistant Manager was this same girl – “Sarah.” “Sarah” was outraged that I had become her new “Boss” and I feared she would likely hate me forever – But that didn’t happen.

· Forty-three years ago this week, that girl; “Sarah” and I were married – But how in the world did this happen?

Where does God fit in with all of this? You can’t tell me that this was all a coincidence. I believe the “But That Didn’t Happens,” are all due to God. The Holy Spirit had to have a hand in all of this! Let’s unpack the facts.

· Had I gone onto the Naval Academy (Annapolis), to be a Marine Biologist as I thought I wanted to be, it is likely our paths would have never crossed – But that did not happen!

· Had I gone to Notre Dame or any of the other schools, I likely never would have met this girl - But that did not happen!

· Had I been successful playing football at Ball State, I likely would not have quit college and thus never met this girl - But that did not happen!

· Had I not chosen the particular career path and company to work for, I likely would not have ever met this girl - But that did not happen!

· Had I not been promoted to the particular store in which this girl worked, I likely would have forgotten our little first encounter and possibly never seen this girl again - But that did not happen!

There is no doubt in my mind that God directed us towards each other. He used the Holy Spirit to influence us to a point where we were brought together – FOREVER – THANK GOD!!! It should be noted that this is only my viewpoint of what occurred. There are plenty of unusual circumstances, on my wife’s side of things, that even more strongly prove that God’s hand was in all that occurred.

I have often wondered why He did this? Was, or is, there some great divine accomplishment we did or He still wants us to do? Were we brought together to give the world our Kids, Grandkids, or Great Grandkids? Is there some great thing, anyone of them, are going to do or accomplish? Or did He bring us together simply because He knew these two souls needed loving companions?

I’m not sure I will ever know and quite frankly I don’t feel I need to know. It is/was His will and we have all been greatly blessed by Him, because of it!!!

So, this week, I want to thank God for bringing us together! He brought me the most incredible and wonderful “girl,” and I have been so very very blessed to have been able to call her my wife, and best friend, for 43 years now. There is no more beautiful “Girl” than my wife, let’s call her “Sarah.” She is beautiful outwardly, and in her heart, and in her mind, and in her love for her family, and especially in her love of/for God.

How could anyone be more blessed than I !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah, and my Heavenly Father – “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life!!!

Ronnie Millsap’s song lyrics:

"What A Difference You've Made In My Life"

What a difference you've made in my life. What a difference you've made in my life You're my sunshine day and night Oh, what a difference you've made in my life. What a change you have made in my heart What a change you have made in my heart You replaced all the broken parts Oh, what a change you have made in my heart. Love to me was just a word in a song that had been way overused But now I've joined in the singin' 'Cause you've shown me love's true meanin' That's why I want to spread the news. What a difference you've made in my life What a difference you've made in my life You're my sunshine day and night Oh, what a difference you've made in my life. What a difference you've made in my life (listen to it) What a difference you've made in my life You're my sunshine day and night Oh, what a difference you've made, yeah. What a difference you've made in my life Difference you've made in my life What a difference you've made in my life You're my sunshine day and night Oh, what a difference you've made. Go ahead and sing it. What a difference you've made in my life What a difference you've made in my life, Yeah-heah-eah-eah-heah You're my sunshine day and night Oh yeah, sing it to me What a difference you've made. What a difference you've made in my life, woh-oh-oh-oh What a difference you've made in my life You're my sunshine day and night Oh, what a difference you've made What a difference you've made, in my life...